The attractions of the well-preserved and lively ville basse notwithstanding, what everybody comes for is the Cité , the double-walled and turreted fortress that crowns the hill above the River Aude. From a distance it's the epitome of the fairytale medieval town. Viollet-le-Duc rescued it from ruin in 1844, and his "too-perfect" restoration has been furiously debated ever since. It is, as you would expect, a real tourist trap. Yet, in spite of the chintzy cafés, arty-crafty shops and the crowds, you'd have to be a very stiff-necked purist not to be moved at all.

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To reach the Cité from the ville basse , take bus #2 from outside the station, or a navette from square Gambetta. Alternatively, you can walk it in under thirty minutes, crossing the Pont-Vieux and climbing rue Barbacane, past the church of St-Gimer to the sturdy bastion of the Porte d'Aude . This is effectively the back entrance - the main gate is Porte Narbonnaise , round on the east side.        

There is no charge for admission to the streets or the grassy lices - "lists" - between the walls, though cars are banned from 10am to 6pm. However, to see the inner fortress of the Château Comtal and to walk the walls, you'll have to join a guided tour (daily: April, May & Oct 9.30am-6pm; June-Sept 9.30am-7.30pm; Nov-March 9.30am-5pm; €5.34). The seventy- to ninety-minute tours - several per day in English from June to September - assume some knowledge of French history, pointing out the various phases in the construction of the fortifications, from Roman to Visigothic to Romanesque and to the post-Cathar adaptations of the French kings.

In addition to wandering the narrow streets, don't miss the beautiful church of St-Nazaire (daily 9-11.45am & 1.45-6pm), towards the southern corner of the Cité at the end of rue St-Louis. It's a serene combination of Romanesque nave with carved capitals and Gothic transepts and choir adorned with some of the loveliest stained glass in Languedoc. In the south transept is a tombstone believed to belong to Simon de Montfort senior. You can also climb the tower (same hours; €1.53), for spectacular views over the Cité.

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