Some places do not need long descriptions: Montségur is one of them. You will not come out indifferent to this experience to live in the heart of a warm and bewitching Ariège, that's for sure. Montségur is quite simply a unique, grandiose, unforgettable place. I will take you to discover the Cathars for a historic day!

Montségur en Ariège Pyrénées

THE FIRST POINT OF VIEW THAT LEFT ME VOICE


The little thing that I really appreciated when going to Montségur for the first time was quite simply the road from Montferrier to Montségur. She's a bit like… bewitching!

A few bends after Montferrier, we have a first view of the castle… And what a view! At that point we really wonder how men were able to build a fortress at this altitude ... it's amazing!

A short but intense climb!

By continuing on the road, 2 switchbacks later, we finally arrive at the gates of the Ariège paradise!

The climb can begin! You will find the ticket office for the castle after a short 5-minute walk.

THEentrance to the site is chargeable, and it includes:

  • access to the castle,
  • to the guided tour (exceptional not to be missed!)
  • and at the museum located in the village of Monségur below.

(Attention payment in cash and check only!)

You just have to be careful to be properly shoes, the passages of the many Cathars of modern times have polished the stones of the path, which makes the ascent (and the descent) slightly slippery. After this scrubbing hike that lasts only 30 minutes, we finally enjoy the 360 ​​° view of the Tabe massif, and on the plains stretching out to Carcassonne!

Info for hiking enthusiasts

You are on both the GR107 and the GR367, respectively called Chemins des Bonshommes and Sentier Cathare! These two hiking routes are journeys through the Pyrenees, and odes to discovery, both of the wonderful landscapes of France and Spain, but also of the rich cultural heritage that remains on our land, witnesses of the story.

The reward is finally before our eyes… this Cathar castle, the best known in Occitania and the Pyrenees, where “fellows” live, FINALLY opens its doors to us.

A fair… extraordinary visit

On the way up, we were well informed about the times of the guided tour given by Fabrice, the only guide to the castle, because we had been told that it was not to be missed.

And indeed, we probably do not come out unscathed ... in a good way!

Thanks to him, and his words, we quickly measure the chance to set foot on the ground of this incredible space… The story is vibrant. The captive guide-lecturer transported us to the time of the Bonshommes (the Cathars), these “perfect”, in the XNUMXth century.

From Christianity, the Cathar religion is based on two main principles: a Good God and a Bad God. All that is immaterial is the work of the Good, all that is material is the work of the Devil.

At the beginning of the 13th century, the Catholic Church, to bring back to the right path those she calls "heretics", had no other solution than to resort to force: it was the crusade against the Albigenses. We quickly understood what these Bonshommes could have experienced by listening attentively to the guide's words ...

Frankly, we are not ready to forget the way of speaking of Fabrice who almost succeeded in bringing tears to my eyes; we are not ready to forget his words either, as they are transmitted with passion and conviction.

As you walk around the citadel, you can admire the different landscapes: from the wide plains of the Ariège valley and the Toulouse basin, to the various and varied reliefs of our beautiful Ariège mountains ...

Magda

Author

Magda

Lover of wide open spaces and nature, I spend my free time walking on the hiking trails of the Pyrenees. Big fan of roaming, I love sleeping in the mountains and waking up to the sound of the silence of our summits. I also love ski touring, climbing and good little Ariège dishes ... especially cheese-based!

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