Page 467 - (DK Eyewitness) Travel Guide - France

The town of Montségur furnished with contemporary
and its historic castle, pieces, is where the king 20 " '
high up in the Pyrenees stayed in 1660, and is worth Montségur
taking a look. ! D7 ⌂ Ariège # Hours
The port is busy during the vary, check website
all the great Basque churches, summer, while the restaurants ∑ montsegur.fr
a triple-galleried marvel with behind the covered markets
a glittering 17th-century altar- serve sizzling bowls heaped Montségur is famous as the
piece and an atmosphere of up with the local specialty of last stronghold of the Cathars
gaiety and fervour. The gate chipirons (squid cooked in (p482). From the car park, a
through which the Sun King their own ink). Place Louis XIV pathway leads up to the small
led his new bride was walled is a lovely place to relax and castle, occu pied during the
up immediately by masons: watch the world go by. 13th century by faidits (dispos-
a plaque now marks the spot. On the opposite side of the sessed aristocrats) and some
The Maison Louis XIV, which is River Nivelle from St-Jean- Cathars, who lived out side the
de-Luz, Ciboure was the birth- fortress in houses clinging to
place in 1875 of the composer, the rock. Opposing Catholic
pianist and conductor Maurice authority, the Cathar troops
Ravel. It is characterized by its marched on Avignonnet in
steep narrow streets of 18th- 1243 and massacred members
century merchants’ houses of the Inquisitional tribunal.
and its seafood restaurants. In retaliation, an army of 10,000
From here, there’s a very laid siege to Montségur for ten
pleasant coastal walk of an months. When captured, 205
hour or so, which leads to the Cathars refused to convert and
neighbouring village of Socoa, were burned alive.
The lighthouse on the clifftop
there offers a splendid view
north along the coast all the INSIDER TIP
way to Biarritz (p458). Mount Pog
The 30-minute hike
Maison Louis XIV up Mount Pog to
"' ⌂ Place Louis XIV Château de Montsegur
# Hours vary, check website is challenging, and
∑ maison-louis-xiv.fr there aren’t any
faci lities on the way.
Ensure you wear
appropriate footwear
Colourful traditional Basque and take plenty of
houses lining the pretty port water with you.
of St-Jean-de-Luz
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