Issue No. 13

Carcassonne, the p
Karen Slater, French Holiday expert,
shares one of her favourite winter
playgrounds...
© Julien Roche City Hall Carcassonne
France is an all year round destination
offering something for everyone, though
when we think of winter in France, it's
generally for skiing holidays. But, there is
so much more to this fascinating country
at this time of the year. If you are a lover of
myths and enchanting stories then a great
place to visit in winter is Carcassonne in
the Languedoc region.
The world famous medieval citadel can be
seen for miles around. Some say that
Carcassonne was Walt Disney’s inspiration
for the film Sleeping Beauty! From a
distance it is breath-taking, but once there,
inside the Citadel, your spirits will be lifted
by the magic of this magnificent place. It
was also the inspiration for Kate Mosse’s
best-selling book “Labyrinth” – a story
revolving around an ancient grail.
From early December until early January
Carcassonne’s magic is at its best as it
comes alive with Christmas festivities. With
twinkling lights everywhere, concerts, street
entertainment, an ice rink, Christmas
market and a jolly atmosphere.
Hiring a car is a must as not too far from
Carcassonne are two other enchanting
towns, both have inspired books!
Saintes-Maries-de-la-Mer is about a two
hour drive from Carcassonne. It was once a
fishing village built on an island in the heart
of the beautiful Camargue region of France.
Here you will see stunning white horses
running wild! According to local legend,
after the resurrection of Christ, Mary
Magdalene and several disciples were
forced to flee the holy land in 45 AD. They
arrived in Saintes-Maries-de-la-mer and it is
said Mary Magdalene remained here until
her death many years later. It is now a holy
place and referred to in books as ‘The Holy
Blood and the Holy Grail’ from which Dan
Brown used information and references for
his book The Da Vinci Code.