On this 6-night and 7-day tour we journey through the ‘Land of the Cathars’ to trace the events of the Albigensian Crusade (1209-29) and the attempt to extinguish the perceived heresy of Catharism in southern France. Travelling by coach from our bases in Carcassonne and near Couiza we visit the main castles and villages which had Cathar connections and learn about the nature of this heresy, its causes, consequences and eventual violent destruction. Our first base in the medieval city of Carcassonne allows us to gain a fine appreciation of France in the medieval period and the evocative cityscape, although heavily restored, is a rare glimpse into the urban world of medieval Europe. The region possesses some of the most stunning and historically important castles in France and we have the privilege of visiting them in the company of an expert historian who will bring their stories to life. From Carcassonne we travel to Lastours where we explore the remarkable Four Castles, a significant Cathar centre, and at the castles of Minerve, Saissac, Termes, Arques and Puivert we admire ruins steeped in the desperate plight of the Cathar sect. Some of these castles surrendered without a fight but for those that stubbornly refused retribution came swiftly in the form of siege after which Cathars who refused to recant were usually burned to death. The most ruthless and well-known example of this was at Montségur. Our tour also visits villages where important events in the Cathar story took place such as Fanjeaux which hosted the Great Assembly of 1204 and from where an attempt to convert Cathars to the true path was made.

Staying in well-appointed four-star hotels, enjoying superb local food and enjoying the finest wines France has to offer this is a highly enjoyable tour for those who seek to know more about one of Europe’s lesser-known historical events. But at the same time we will be reminded of those who were persecuted and often condemned to a painful death for what they believed in; it is a stark and sobering contrast.

The tour does involve some uphill walking including at Lastours and the 40-minute ascent on a path to Montségur but these are optional.

From the 11th century a movement emerged within the Catholic Church which challenged accepted church teachings through a form of Dualism. These Cathars (from the Greek for ‘pure ones’) believed that a good God had created everything immaterial and a bad force everything material. The movement gained traction particularly in Languedoc (south-east France) and Cathars were known by the Catholic Church as ‘Albigensians’, after the town of Albi where they thought the heresy was centred. The Church tried various forms of propaganda to try to convince the Cathars to come back into the fold but by the early 1200s war seemed certain. In 1208 Pope Innocent III declared a Crusade against the heretics, a word hitherto reserved for military missions to the Holy Land or Baltics.

The Albigensian Crusade (1209-29) was savage and unrelenting in its pursuit of Cathars. It has been estimated that half a million men, women and children were massacred, Catholics as well as heretics. So indiscriminate was this slaughter that when the town of Béziers was captured the Abbott-Commander, Arnaud Amaury, gave the dreadful command: "Kill them all! - the Lord will recognise His own”. The Cathars retreated to the many castles and fortifications that today make this area so absorbing. This led to a series of sieges many of which were conducted by the English knight Simon de Montfort, father of the more famous personage. By 1244 a renewed Crusade expunged the last vestiges of Catharism at Montségur where around 220 victims were burned alive.

Voltaire opined that "there was never anything as unjust as the war against the Albigensians". 

Day 1: fly from London Heathrow to Toulouse or join tour at the Carcassonne hotel. Drive to Carcassonne and our hotel for four nights. (D).

Day 2: Drive to Lastours where we explore the remarkable Four Castles - Cabaret, Quertinheux, Surdespine and Tour Régine. As Cathars the family of Cabaret were "acquired to heresy" and attracted the attention of the authorities who besieged the location in the 1220s. Set majestically on a rocky ridge the beauty of the landscape belies its history as one of the most ardent centres of Catharism. We continue to Minerve where in 1210 Simon de Montford laid siege to the Cathar stronghold after which 180 Cathars were burned to death. (B, D).

Day 3: Today we journey the short distance to the lovely village of Fanjeaux, an important centre of Cathar belief, and location for attempts by the Cistercian order to convert Cathars from 1206 onwards. Our tour moves to the Cathar castle of Saissac whose lords surrendered early in the war to the Crusader armies for fear of reprisal. (B, D).

Day 4: A full day exploring the beautiful city of Carcassonne, a UNESCO World Heritage site, with its rich medieval history and stunning architecture. We start with a tour of the Château Comtal, fortified seat of power of the Cathar Trencavel family, and besieged in 1209. A walk on the stately ramparts affords simply breathtaking views of the surrounding region. The afternoon is free for you to continue your exploration of this consummate medieval city. (B, D).

Day 5: We travel to the Cathar stronghold of Termes which fell to Simon de Montfort’s forces in 1210 after an arduous four-month siege. The view from here of the surrounding deep gorges is superb. We proceed through the beautiful wine-growing area of the Corbières to the exquisite donjon of Arques, again sacked in 1210 by de Montfort. Our day finishes in our hotel near Couiza where we spend two nights. (B, D).

Day 6: From the hotel we travel to the castle of Puivert, one of the best preserved of Cathar castles, whose peaceful setting is in strong contrast to the events of 1210 when it fell in just three days. Puivert was also an important centre for the troubadours who fêted a young Eleanor of Aquitaine on her visit to the castle in 1170. We continue to the iconic castle of Montségur, probably the most famous of all Cathar strongholds, and their last stronhold. A 40-minute walk takes us up to the lofty ramparts in their commanding position over the valley below. In 1244 it capitulated after a 10-month siege resulting in the burning to death of around 220 Cathars. The site is reputed to have been in a field below the ruins. We also visit the museum in the village below which describes the Cathar story. (B, D).

Day 7: on our last day we travel to the town of Foix and visit the amazing castle, medieval home to the Counts of Foix, the most able and resolute of the Cathar leaders. This is one of the best surviving castles from the period and the innovative exhibits, including accurately reconstructed armour, provide a flavour of what life must have been like in this turbulent age. We proceed to Toulouse Airport and our late afternoon flight back to London Heathrow (or you may want to extend your stay in France). (B).