We depart in the morning to visit these two amazing ruined castles…. We start with Quéribus Castle, also called citadelle du vertige, which, as it's name suggests will offer you a wonderful view, literally breathtaking. During the Cathar crusade, Queribus served as a shelter to the cathars. This is sometimes regarded as the last cathar stronghold, in a sense it was. After the fall of the chateau of Montsegur in 1244 surviving cathars gathered together in the corbieres in another mountain top stronghold on the border of Aragon (the present border between the Aude and the Pyrenees Orientals department)
Queribus is high and isolated, it stands on the top of the highest peak for miles around. From a distance it can be seen on the horizon, sticking up into the sky.
We take lunch in the pretty village of Cucugnan. After lunch, take the time to stroll through the medieval streets of this picturesque village and go to the windmill where you will be surrounded by vineyards. According to the old mill at the top of the village, the story goes that The baker of Cucugnan, together with the co-operation of local farmers was master of bread production, using the now abandoned wheat variety known as the Bearded Roussillon.
We then head onto Peyrepertuse Castle, a ruined fortress and one of the Cathar castles. It was associated with the Counts of Barcelona and later the kings of Aragon. The name Peyrepetuse is derived from Peirapertusa, the Occitan word meaning pierced rock. The lower part of the castle was built in a strategic location by the Kings of Aragon in the 11th Century and the higher part by the french King Louis IX later on, after the area was annexed to France. The two castles were linked together by a staircase. The castle lost importance as a strategic castle when the border between France and Spain was moved in 1659, causing the castle to be abandoned. The castle ruins are impressive, set high on a defensive crag. From the approach road it is difficult to see where the rock strops and the castle begins.
