The exterior walls of la Cité, the old, fortified city of Carcassonne, on a cloudy day.
A 2006 report states that this medieval, walled city is the most visited site in France, even more popular than Mont Saint-Michel. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and is absolutely heaving in the summertime with visitors from around the globe. The rest of the year it is crammed with school children and visitors from around the globe.
The walls in the photo are not actually medieval. La Cité was slated for demolition in the mid 1800's until a protest led by the town's mayor halted the plans for razing the structure. La Cité was classified a Historical Monument and an architect, Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, restored the site, giving it the medieval appearance that visitors currently enjoy.
The ''new town'' of Carcassonne, population around 45,000, is adjacent to la Cité.
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