Château de Quéribus, Cucugnan, France

Château de Quéribus is a ruined castle in the commune of Cucugnan. It is one of the 'Five Sons of Carcassonne', along with Aguilar, Peyrepertuse, Termes and Puilaurens: five castles strategically placed to defend the French border against the Spanish, until the border was moved in 1659.

Quéribus was first time mentioned in 1021 when it was one of the main Barcelonan strongholds north of the Pyrenees.

It is sometimes regarded as the last Cathar stronghold. After the fall of Montségur in 1244 surviving Cathars gathered together in another mountain-top stronghold on the border of Aragon. In 1255, a French army was dispatched to deal with these remaining Cathars, but they slipped away without a fight, probably to Aragon or Piedmont - both regions where Cathar beliefs were still common, and where the Occitan language was spoken.

Quéribus is high and isolated. It stands on top of the highest peak for miles around. In 1951 restoration work on the turret began, and between 1998-2002 a complete restoration of the castle was undertaken: the castle is now accessible to visitors.

References:

Wikipedia

User Reviews

Alex Thompson (13 months ago)
Amazing place with phenomenal views and fascinating history.

Lyubov R (2 years ago)
Fascinating views, filled with history every inch. I definitely recommend it, it's a great weekend walk. There are picnic tables nearby

John Reilly (2 years ago)
The only thing I want to add is that we wore sturdy sneakers and if the stones inside the walls are dry, it isn't a problem. Don't be put off if you don't have hiking boots. On the other hand, the walk up to the chateau from the ticket office is steep, contrary to what else you might read. Easy enough for the young but us oldies had a few stops on the way.

Chris Mobile (2 years ago)
If you like walking in the mountains, this is a nice medieval castle to visit. The building condition is average for a medieval castle... The view from the castle is impressive.

Niall Flynn (3 years ago)
Ruins of Castle on hilltop. Great views of surrounding countryside.

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