Les Lices
A circular passage between the inner and outer city walls. You can walk around the fortifications for free and feel the depth of medieval defenses.
'Les Lices' is the open ground between Carcassonne's inner and outer walls. In the Middle Ages it was used for defense and jousting. Today it is divided into Upper Lices to the north and Lower Lices to the south, about 1.5 km in total, and it is open free of charge. Walking between the two walls, you can get close to the towers, arrow slits, and the pointed slate roofs added by Viollet-le-Duc during his restoration. It is the best angle for photographing the depth of the walls, and it sees far fewer visitors than the main street inside the city. After entering through the Porte Narbonnaise, you can access the Lices from either side.
Opening hours
Open all day
Nearby sights
- Basilica of Saints Nazarius and Celsus
- Cité de Carcassonne
- Château Comtal
- Porte Narbonnaise
- Pont Vieux
- Cathédrale Saint-Michel de Carcassonne
- Bastide Saint-Louis
- Église Saint-Vincent