The 10 most beautiful castles in Ariège
10 châteaux
Chosen among 54 recorded castles
What to see in Ariège when you only have a weekend: the 10 most visited castles according to their visitors’ reviews, among those open to the public whose visiting conditions we checked on the official website. For each: what you see, the entry price, the link to the full entry.
Ranked by renown: how often their name is searched on Google each month, and how many reviews visitors have left. “Beautiful” is your word; what we measure is what visitors choose.
No. 1
Château de Foix (Foix Castle)
Foix
Perched on its rocky spur in the heart of Foix, this Ariège fortress owes its silhouette to three towers, the oldest of which may date back to the 10th century.
Adult €13.50Hours, prices and access
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No. 2
Château de Montségur (Montségur Castle)
Montségur
Set on its rocky peak in the Ariège department, Montségur castle is one of the best-known Cathar sites in Occitania. The current fortress, altered at the end of the 13th century on foundations dating to 1206, can be visited in about an hour.
No. 3
Château de Lordat (Lordat Castle)
Lordat
Set on a limestone outcrop at 965 metres above sea level, Lordat castle overlooks the upper Ariège valley through its imposing ruins.
No. 4
Château de Roquefixade (Roquefixade Castle)
Roquefixade
Perched on a limestone spur between Foix and Lavelanet, in the Ariège region, the ruins of the Roquefixade castle overlook the village below. Its name comes from the split rock, a fissure spanned by a vault on the north side.
No. 5
Château de Miglos (Miglos Castle)
Miglos
Set at 779 metres on a limestone spur above the village of Capoulet, the château de Miglos overlooks the Vicdessos valley in the Ariège region.
No. 6
Château de Terride (Terride Castle)
Mirepoix
On a hill north of Mirepoix, in the Ariège department, the ruins of the château de Terride crown a site occupied since the 10th century. The place was once known as the château de Mirepoix before taking the name Terride in the 16th century, following a marriage within the Lévis family.
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No. 7
Château de Sibra (Sibra Castle)
Lagarde
In Lagarde, in the Ariège department, the Château de Sibra owes its present appearance to a late 19th century rebuilding that turned an older fortified house into a troubadour style residence.
No. 8
Château de Montréal-de-Sos
Auzat
Perched on a rocky spur above the Vicdessos valley, the ruins of Montréal-de-Sos recall one of the major strongholds of the counts of Foix during the Middle Ages. Built at the end of the 12th century, the castle was abandoned and then deliberately dismantled by the counts themselves in the early 15th century.
No. 9
Château de Lagarde (Lagarde Castle)
Lagarde
In Lagarde, in the Ariège department, the substantial ruins of a castle dating back to the 11th century stand above the valley of the Hers-Vif river, near Mirepoix.
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No. 10
Château de Montesquieu (Montesquieu Castle)
Montesquieu-Avantès
Château de Montesquieu, in Montesquieu-Avantès (Ariège), France. Location, access and practical information.
Every castle in Ariège (54)Which ones open this weekend?
Frequently asked questions
- What is the most beautiful castle in Ariège?
- The most visited in Ariège is Château de Foix, first in this selection according to its visitors’ reviews. All 10 castles listed are open to visitors with checked hours.
- How much does a visit cost?
- The adult entry price is shown under each castle when the official website publishes it; 1 of these castles are free.
- How is this selection made?
- Among the 54 castles recorded in Ariège, we keep those open to the public with a photo, then rank by number of Google reviews. No castle pays to appear.