Arriving by train in Carcassonne you could be mistaken into thinking you were in any other small French town. The quintessential French-ness of the petit cafés, the aromatic bakeries and the inevitable buzzing of the mopeds up and down the streets gives that aura of small town France without ever being anything greater than that.

That is until you make your way through Gambetta Square and onto The 9th Bridge. From there, the town of Carcassonne suddenly becomes much more. The cool and calm Aude trickling underneath your feet and the chirping of the birds in the trees provide an ideal soundtrack to accompany the magical view with which you are presented. There upon the hill is La Cité, a perfectly restored medieval fortified town dating back to the 6 th century BC.

The romans used carcassonne as a trading center. The called it the "Colonia Julia Carcaso."

Inside the walls you feel like you have stepped into another world. It reminded me of the goblin city in the cult movie The Labyrinth. No goblins in Carcassonne though, only a small number of locals who are very welcoming and extremely friendly. If anyone ever whinges about the French being snooty and rude, send them to this idyllic town and their opinions will quickly change.

There are two ways to stay in La Cité. The really cheap way or the really expensive way. For those on a budget, the Auberge de Jeunesse is centrally located (everything is in Carcassonne !). It’s clean, friendly and less than ten yards from the castle gates. On the other end of the spectrum is Hotel de La Cité. The hotel is elegant and beautifully situated within its own gardens. It is set between two historic landmarks, the Chateau Comtal and the gothic Saint-Nazaire Basilica.

During the day the town is tremendously busy with hundreds of tourists flowing though the gates. At night, the day-trippers are gone and the town is enchanting and peaceful. Take a stroll around the fortified walls and listen to the fantastic street performers playing the lute and other weird and wonderful medieval instruments.

In the centre of the town is a small square, lined with half a dozen cafés and restaurants. The adventurous traveller will indulge in the local delicacy, casoulet, a kind of rich duck stew. However, most palates can be catered for and of course there is always the wine!

Carcassonne is easily 'conquered' in a day but it's well worth a visit, perhaps on a whirlwind tour of the South of France, however, be warned you will be hard pressed to find another place as captivating as Carcassonne.