Carcassonne may well inspire one of two feelings in you. People write to various sites expressing one view or the other and they are almost opposite. To some it is sheer delight, even 'the very best place I've seen anywhere.' On the other hand, someone says 'I looked forward to seeing it for ages and I have never been so disappointed. Crowded and completely phoney!' You will have to decide for yourself.
Historically, the bastide, often called the 'new city' and 'la Cité' were separate and did not join as a single municipality until the 19th century. The fortifications were geared to defence from Spain and the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659 made them redundant. La Cité was saved from total ruin when it was made a historical monument in 1849 and Viollet-le-Duc led the restoration. Some features seem most unlikely to have restored things as they were in the middle ages, so in a sense it can be called phoney. How crowded it is depends when you go. Whether you like it is for you to decide. [edit text][editors]
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