Carcassonne (La Cité)

A fortified medieval city on a hill in Languedoc, with a double ring of walls and 52 towers, restored in the 19th century by the architect Viollet-le-Duc. It's a UNESCO World Heritage Site and looks straight out of a storybook. Inside are narrow lanes, the Basilica of Saint-Nazaire and the Château Comtal, from which you can walk the ramparts.

The Cité is very busy at midday in summer; come in the evening, when it's lit up, or stay inside the walls. Try cassoulet, the region's rich bean and meat stew. The lower town is a short walk away across the Old Bridge.