7 Iconic Buildings to Explore in Occitanie

The Amphitheatre of Nîmes is a perfect illustration of the degree of perfection attained by Roman engineers in designing and constructing this type of extremely complex building. it measures 133 metres long and 101 metres wide, with an arena of 68 by 38 metres. It was one of the best preserved amphitheaters from the roman world.

The Château de Foix is a castle in the French département of Ariège. An important tourist site, it dominates the town of Foix and was once a Cathar Castle. It is listed as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture. It was the home of the celebrated family of counts who became the viscount of Béarn, then kings of Navarre and kings of France.

The Château de Montségur is probably the best known of all Cathar Castles. It is famous as the last Cathar stronghold, which fell after a 10-month siege in 1244. A field below the hilltop castle is reputed to be the site where over 200 Cathars were burned alive, having refused to renounce their faith. The present ruin is open to the public, as is a museum in the nearby modern village of Montségur. There is an entrance fee for both.

The castle of Peyrepertuse is a so- called "Cathar" castle located in the department of Aude in the Occitanie region. It sits on a limestone ridge at an altitude of nearly 800 m, at the top of a hill that separates Duilhac from the village of Rouffiac-des-Corbières, overlooking garrigue and vineyards. The strategic position which allows you to see far into the various valleys which surround it, to control the passes or to communicate signals to the castle of Quéribus a little further south.

The castle of Quéribus is a so-called "Cathar" castle located in the town of Cucugnan in the department of Aude. This fortress, perched on a rocky peak at an altitude of 728 meters, dominates the village of Cucugnan and is located on the border of the department of Aude and the Pyrénées-Orientales. 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 under

A beautiful medieval castle which was located in the French city of Carcassonne. It is located on a hill on the right bank of the River Aude, in the south-east part of the city proper. it has played a decisive role in the history of Languedoc. Carcassonne quickly became one of the most important symbols of Royal Power in France due to its geographical location.

Maison Carrée or “square house” is an ancient Roman temple located in Nîmes in southern France. It is an extremely well preserved ancient Roman building and represents a nearly textbook example of a Roman temple as described by the architectural writer Vitruvius. This temple was Inspired by the temples of Apollo and Mars Ultor in Rome and it measures 26 metres long by 15 metres wide and 15 metres high.