Bordeaux and Palmiers

Peyrepertuse is the third and last of the Cathar châteaux that we visited this year. Contrary to the other two, Peyrepertuse was new for all of us.

Anne-Marie, the director of the program, had decided last year that the climb was too difficult for the children, but this year, when we heard about the daily falconry show at the top, we decided to take six of the older kids up to the top.

Alex accidentally drove us all the way to Queribus before noticing we were at the wrong château, so by the time we made it all the way to the top of the right château, the show was almost over: we barely caught the last falcon plunging back down to the château to land on the arm of its trainer. The view from the top, however, was still quite impressive and was well worth the climb.

Peyrepertuse is even better preserved than Queribus, and because it was not only a military base but a true castle housing entire families,  the expanse of rooms and areas to visit is much more diverse.

Amongst the features of the château are the chapel, the San Jordi dungeon and the Saint Louis staircase. The staircase is part of what had been deemed too dangerous to walk. The steps have been used so much over the years that, much like the foot of St. Peter at the Vatican, they have worn down to a glossy sheen. You have to hold the rope that serves as a banister to go up or down, and I can’t even imagine what it would be like to attempt to use them on a day when the infamous Tramontagne was blowing.

The name Peyrepertuse comes from the Occitan meaning “pierced rock.” It used to be an important strategic fortress, standing at 800 meters and surveying the border between France and Spain until the border was moved.

Even if you don’t know much about the history of the château, which we didn’t at the time of our visit, it is still a beautiful walk and an amazing historical site to visit.

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