27 people live in the Cité, most of them retired and have inherited houses that have belonged to their families for generations.

There is a house for sale. Quite small, needs doing up, no garden. €2million.

Do NOT visit in August. It was 42 degrees this year and you couldn’t move for tourists. They do do jousting between the two sets of walls though.

There are no proper shops and if you visit in January everything will be closed.

In 1924, a film company decided that they needed water in the partial moat that surrounds the place. This was apparently always dry, partly because it’s on top of a hill and filling it would be too much work. It was used for drainage instead. The film company insisted and damaged the town’s electricity supply which went under the moat. This also left the residents short of water as the pumps didn’t work – an opportunity to experience medieval life in all its glory. The moat does not appear in the finished film.

Bits of Carcassonne appear in Robin Hood Prince of Thieves. Playing Nottingham Castle.