Montsegur
Montsegur and its castle are located in in the Ariege department, in the southern Midi-Pyrenees region south-east of Foix.
High on a hilltop, the castle at Montsegur is an impressive sight. In fact three castles have existed at the same location.
The first predated the cathars and was destroyed before they arrived. The second was an important cathar stronghold in the 13th century, until it fell during a siege - the village that was inside the castles was destroyed at the same time. The third, which is largely what you see today, was constructed / renovated during the latter part of the 13th century.
Apart from the interest of the castle itself, there are splendid views across the surrounding region from the top of the walls.
The 'big day' in the year of the chateau at Montsegur is the summer solstice. By chance or design, the rising sun on that day passes through a series of arches, and has led to it being a major attraction, especially for enthusiasts of the cathars and their religion.
The castle is also sometimes associated with the story of the Holy Grail, although it should be remembered that the current castle contains essentially no vestiges of the two earlier castles on the same location. This possible association also led the castle to be of some interest to the Nazis during the Second World war.
Visit Montsegur (Midi-Pyrenees, Ariege) travel, gites and hotels
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The Montsegur hotels listed feature descriptions, guest reviews, ratings, location maps, online booking etc. as well as the 'best-price' guarantee. The search for hotels in Montsegur is provided by booking.com. General holiday / vacation options- See Midi-Pyrenees gites for Montsegur holiday rentals - Holiday villages in Midi-Pyrenees Holidays nearbyLooking for something close by? See a wide choice of hotels, holiday villages and holiday rentals at: VisitSee Visit Montsegur for places to visit near Montsegur including: a detailed map, villages in bloom and most beautiful villages DiscussAsk questions or leave a comment about Montsegur in our Midi-Pyrenees forum Airports near MontsegurCarcassonne airport at 64 km Perpignan airport at 115 km Toulouse airport at 98 km Montsegur property for saleSee Midi-Pyrenees property for sale
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Places to visit near Montsegur, France
Explore places of interest within about 70 kilometres on a map at places near Montsegur.
Some places to visit within 30 km: 
17 km: Ax-les-Thermes (spa town & ski station) 22 km: Camon (town) 27 km: Foix (Town) 24 km: Mirepoix (Interesting town)
See also Montsegur (version Francais)
