Château de Montségur

Occitanie · France · Castle ruin

On the rock where 200 Cathars burned, the lady Esclarmonde is said to weep for her people on stormy nights.

Montségur, the last stronghold of the Cathars on a sheer rocky summit in the Ariège, fell in 1244 after a ten-month siege — more than 200 Cathars who refused to renounce their faith were burned alive at the foot of the mountain. Legend has Esclarmonde, the white lady of the ruins, walking the ramparts on stormy nights mourning the massacre of her people, and villagers have told of shadows of fallen Cathar fighters and chanting from the ruins at full moon. The site is also wrapped in legends of the Cathar treasure and the Grail. The ruin is reached by a steep path and is open to visitors.

FAQ

Where is Château de Montségur located?

Château de Montségur is in Occitanie, France.

Image: MDanis / CC BY-SA 3.0 — Wikimedia Commons