Cathars and Catharism in the Languedoc:   Cathar Castles:   Queribus

This is sometimes regarded as the last Cathar stronghold.   In a sense it was. After the fall of the Château of Montségur ( Montsegùr) in 1244 surviving Cathars gathered together in the Corbières in another mountain-top stronghold on the border of Aragon (The present border between the Aude département and the Pyrénées-Orientales département).

In 1255 a French army was dispatched to deal with them, but they slipped away without a fight, propably to Aragon or Piedmont, both regions where Cathar beliefs were still common, and where the Occitan language was spoken.

This is one of the "Five Sons of Carcassonne", along with Termes,  Aguila, Peyrepertuse and Puilaurens:: five castles strategically placed to defend the French border against the Spanish. It lost all strategic importance after the Treaty of the Pyrenees in 1659 when the border was moved even further south to its present position along the crest of the Pyrenees. 

Quéribus is high and isolated. It stands on top of the highest peak for miles around. From a distance it can be seen on the horizon, sticking up into the sky.

It is accessible to visitors. You can drive almost to it, walking just the last few hundred metres. The entrance to the castle itself is very steep and narrow – a defensive measure. Notice the number of arrow slits covering the approach.

G.P.S. Co-Ordinates 42° 50' 3" North - 2° 37' 21" East. Altitude - 730 metres.

Phone number: 04 68 45 03 69. Opening times: In April and October of 9.30am to 18.30pm. May, June and September 9.30am to 7pm. July and August 9am to 8pm and any other time from 10am to 5pm. Closed all of February.

Closest village: Maury: Population 1000.