The Cathars or Albigensians were a religious movement that had a large following during the 12th and 13th centuries in the western Languedoc of what is now also called Cathar country: the region around Carcassonne. According to the Cathars, Satan was all-powerful on earth and only the spiritual inspiration of the Holy Spirit led to salvation. For the rulers of the Catholic Church this was heresy, an unlawful deviation from the doctrine they saw as correct, which had to be literally fought with fire and sword. Which is what happened by means of the Albigensian Crusades.
Many books have been written about this movement. Also, in the Belgian tradition, a comic strip has been published about it.

This Cathar route is the middle of three sections through Cathar country. It starts in Narbonne and ends in Montségur at one of the most important castles in Cathar history.
Although Narbonne had little to do with the Cathars, this city is an excellent starting point to explore this part of Cathar country. Moreover, Narbonne offers a lot of urban beauty. It is the oldest Roman city in France. In the year 118 BC, the first stone of what is now Narbonne was laid here. It was a strategically very important city. The Roman roots of Narbonne are clearly reflected in the streetscape in several places. The port was the largest on the western side of the Mediterranean for a long time. Narbonne was therefore an important trading place. The city has several centres, all of which are worth a visit. The old centre around the archbishop's palace is quite small and all the highlights are therefore close to each other. You can wander around the idyllic streets and feast your eyes. After refuelling, you head for the Abbey of Fontfroide.

The Abbey of Fontfroide is a former Cistercian abbey, situated in a small valley of the Corbières, about 14 kilometres southwest of the city of Narbonne. The abbey is surrounded by cypress trees, which gives it a Tuscan appearance. During the crusade against the Cathars, in the twelfth and thirteenth centuries AD, the abbey played an important role. Pope Innocent III commissioned two monks from the abbey to convert the Cathars to the Catholic faith. Bizanet housed the old, fortified farm of the Abbey of Fontfroide, now called the castle of Gaussan.

Duban-Corbières
From the village of Durban you have a nice view of the local castle. It became the property of the son of Don Juan in 1390. King of Aragon. It is partly destroyed; the southern sun now only illuminates the facade facing the village, in which 16th century Renaissance windows can be discovered. The village wall can still be seen in various places. One of the fortified gates now serves as a clock tower. At the water below in the village you can get coffee.

Villerouge-Termenès
The medieval village of Villerouge-Termenès is dominated by a massive castle. Here Bélibaste, the last Cathar deacon, ruled with an iron fist. The complex is laid out according to the military tradition of the 12th and 13th centuries with a quadrangular enclosure, reinforced with round towers. Every year in July, concerts and medieval banquets are held there. The medieval festival in August commemorates the life and condemnation of Bélibaste.

Terms
In the twelfth century, the lords of Termes became fanatical followers of Catharism, as did many other lords in the area. This would eventually lead to a months-long siege during the Albigensian Crusade. Despite fanatical resistance, the crusader managed to conquer the village. The Cathars were burned at the stake and the lord of Termes disappeared into the dungeons of Carcassonne. In the centuries that followed, the castle would lose its function and slowly became a ruin.

Tuchan
Since the Spanish took over in 1525, only a gate remains of the fortified village. Approximately 3 km east of the village stands the castle of Aguilar, a true defensive block in the centre of the Corbières. In the miserable year of 1210 for the Cathars, Simon de Montfort also set up camp here. In 1240, Aguilar was added to the royal possession. Within a hexagonal wall are the 12th-century residential buildings and a keep from the same period.

Duilhac-sous-Peyrepertuse
The rocky ridge at Duilhac-sous-Peyrepertuse also illustrates Cathar history, with its typical, almost impregnable fortifications. There are two castles to visit. One of them is the Château Bas, which was under Aragonese rule in the 12th century and thus escaped the Cathar destruction to some extent. The siege of Peyrepertuse was a dramatic high point. In 1240, the castle surrendered almost without a fight to the royal troops of Carcassonne due to starvation. Later, it became a link in the line of castles aimed at Spanish Roussillon. To the west and higher up, climb the walls of the second castle, that of San Jordi. The enemy flag was never raised here. Philip the Bald had the terrifying fortress built.
The keep still sticks up like a warning finger. In total, Peyrepertuse contains approximately 2.5 km of climbing protection. The chains that accompany the rock steps are certainly not superfluous as hand support.

Arques
After the Albigensian Crusade, the Voisins family settled in the Razès. Gilles de Voisins built a castle with a magnificent keep at the end of the 13th century, and thus Arques was born in the shadow of the Rialsesse forest. Of the fortifications, the keep is the most striking: a 24 m high, square colossus with four floors and staircase turrets. The rooms of the complex are executed with great care. In the village church of St.-Jean-Baptiste, attributed to the 14th century builder Jean de Voisins, there is a refined group of statues. In the museum, named after Déodat-Roché, an expert on Cathar history, there is a permanent exhibition of craftsmanship.

Pure
The vast ruins of the 12th century castle of Puivert surround a pearl of a keep. Three rooms, one above the other, can be visited: the military room, the Gothic room and the 'music room', so called because of the small figures playing violins and harps that are placed there.

Montsegur
Before the Cathars settled in Montségur, there was already a castle here. In the 13th century, this fortress with about 400 soldiers began to grow into a centre of Cathar power. From this castle, warriors were sent to Avignonet, 70 km to the north, to disrupt the meeting of inquisitors. Blanche of Castile decided at that moment to take the Cathar castle of Montségur. Even after the capture, 200 brave men remained faithful to the Cathar faith. They were burned at the foot of the mountain at what is now the Camp des Crémats. The Cathar epic was a bloody affair until the end. The siege of Montségur on 16 March 1244 ended with a bonfire. Hundreds of Cathars voluntarily threw themselves into the fire because they did not want to renounce their faith.