The 10 most beautiful castles in Occitania
10 châteaux
Chosen among 1,300 recorded castles
What to see in Occitania 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
Palace of the Kings of Majorca
Perpignan
Built at the end of the 13th century on the heights above Perpignan, this fortified palace was designed for the court of the kingdom of Majorca, on the orders of King James II.
No. 2
Château comtal de Carcassonne
Carcassonne
At the heart of the medieval city of Carcassonne, the comtal castle is what remains of the feudal power of the Trencavel family, before becoming the residence of the royal seneschal and then a frontier stronghold facing the kingdom of Aragon.
No. 3
Château de Quéribus (Quéribus Castle)
Cucugnan
Standing above the village of Cucugnan in the Aude department, Quéribus castle displays its 13th-century remains on a rocky outcrop. This fortified site, linked to Cathar history, is a listed historic monument. The visit takes place outdoors, among ruins overlooking the Corbières landscape.
No. 4
Château de Flaugergues (Flaugergues Castle)
Montpellier
On the outskirts of Montpellier, the Château de Flaugergues belongs to a distinctive group of local country estates built by wealthy merchants in the late 17th century. The property, still owned by the Colbert family, combines a working vineyard with a listed historic building.
No. 5
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
No. 6
Château Laurens (Laurens Castle)
Agde
In Agde, Château Laurens is a villa built at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries for Emmanuel Laurens, a wealthy heir and passionate collector who travelled extensively.
Adult €18Hours, prices and access
No. 7
Fort Saint-André (Villeneuve-lès-Avignon)
Villeneuve-lès-Avignon
On the Mont Andaon, facing Avignon across the Rhône, the fort Saint-André stretches its 750 metres of ramparts around the site of a former Benedictine abbey. The entrance gatehouse, flanked by twin towers topped with machicolations, still marks the way in today.
Adult €7Hours, prices and access
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No. 8
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. 9
Château ou forteresse de Salses
Salses-le-Château
Standing at Salses-le-Château in the Pyrénées-Orientales, this brick and stone stronghold occupies a narrow strip of land between the Corbières hills and the Leucate lagoon, once a strategic passage between Roussillon and Languedoc.
Adult €9Hours, prices and access
No. 10
Château de Castelnau-Bretenoux (Castelnau-Bretenoux Castle)
Prudhomat
Standing on a rocky spur in the Quercy region, this medieval stronghold was never successfully besieged despite its strategic position on the border between Limousin and Quercy.
Adult €9Hours, prices and access
Every castle in Occitania (1,300)
Frequently asked questions
- What is the most beautiful castle in Occitania?
- The most visited in Occitania is Palace of the Kings of Majorca, 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; 0 of these castles are free.
- How is this selection made?
- Among the 1,300 castles recorded in Occitania, we keep those open to the public with a photo, then rank by number of Google reviews. No castle pays to appear.