I went to Carcassonne specifically to see this castle, and it was 100% worth the trip. There is the newer city below the castle and then the castle itself on top of a hill.
I havent felt or really understood the size of anything like it before because, when you think about huge castles like you've seen on tv, you don't really grasp the size of them. This was the first ever castle I went to and it felt like I was stepping back in time. Their restoration of the castle is amazing and it seamlessly fits in on the hilltop looking over the city.
When entering the castle, I was walking in and saw these weird outline circles. I had no idea what they were and forgot about them until I saw a picture of the castle from a while back. Apparently, its the remnants of a famous temporary art installation called "Eccentric Concentric Circles" by Felice Varini. It only looks "correct" at this specific viewpoint I took the pic at.
The Duck Cassoulet was AMAZING! I ate inside the castle because of the vibe, even though I knew it was going to be expensive. The waiter said to pair it with a red wine, and even though I wasn't a big wine fan, this meal was fantastic and the duck was cooked perfectly.
Watching the sunset from the caste was so beautiful. This castle just made me kinda imagine what it would be like to live inside it back in the day, like how would I defend it. It had super small slits in the wall where people would fire arrows out of it and I couldn't imagine the skill it took to do that.
The Basilica had some gorgeous windows. Surprised they fit such a big cathedral inside that castle to be honest.
The statues in the lower city were super cool. The two guys wrestling and the kid on the swing were some unique works I have never really experienced before.
Overall, such a great place, and my favorite European Castle as of right now. Would 100% recommend checking it out if you going to be near that area. Enjoy!