Completely in the heart of the Corbières massif, near the village of Cucugnan, made famous by Alphonse Daudet's book Letters from my Windmill (Lettres de mon Moulin), stands the Cathar castle of Quéribus, at the summit of a narrow, rocky peak. This medieval fortress, located at an altitude of 728 metres, is recognisable by its imposing keep surrounded by three successive walls... A refuge for the Cathar faithful during the Albigensian crusade, the citadel of Quéribus was the last stronghold of Cathar resistance to fall into the hands of the crusaders in 1255.
Accessible in about ten minutes along a steep path, the Quéribus site has an astonishing panoramic view from the terrace of its polygon-shaped keep - you can see the Corbières, the Roussillon plain, the Mediterranean and the Pyrenees! The superb Gothic room in the keep, with its ribbed arches, will also be a highlight of any visit.
