In the town of Carcassonne, southeast of Toulouse, France

 “The first stars had kindled in a sky gone royally violet, and the moon heaved a faint silver curve over the ragged line of palaces.”

― Katherine Arden
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(in the Occitanie region of southwestern France) The town of Carcassonne is found southeast of Toulouse, near the eastward bend of the Aude River, which divides the city into two towns, the Ville Basse and the Cité. The Cité has some of the finest remains of medieval fortifications in Europe .Step back several centuries and imagine yourself in the medieval times that produced them. Designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1997, La Cite at Carcassonne is a carefully restored medieval walled city perched on a rocky hilltop above the river, bristling with zigzag battlements, stout walls and spiky turrets. Indeed, the fortified city of Carcassonne looks a bit like something out of a children’s storybook when it's seen from afar. (The youngsters might even wonder whether armed lookouts are still defending the city's towers.) Cross the river with them to explore the La Bastide neighborhood -- to discover all the charms of a French country town. The hill on which the Cité Médiévale stands has been fortified many times over the centuries – by Gauls, Romans, Visigoths, Moors, Franks and Cathars, to name a few.