Cité de Carcassonne hosts a night trail on 23 October
Published on 10/11/2026 at 06:03 | Editorial responsibility: Rafael Müller, Editor-in-Chief AD HOC NEWSKey points in brief
- The Château Comtal Night Trail starts at Cité de Carcassonne on 23 October 2026 at 8pm.
- The 12 km night race has 250 m of positive elevation and follows Cathar trails around Carcassonne.
- The fortified city is part of a UNESCO World Heritage site and includes a castle, cathedral and double defensive walls.
Cité de Carcassonne hosts the Château Comtal Night Trail on 23 October 2026, bringing a 12 km race to the medieval city at 8pm. The event forms part of the Grand Raid des Cathares, a seven-race ultra-trail programme staged around Carcassonne in October.
The course begins at the Château Comtal ticket office inside the fortified city. The date, start time and venue are set out in the event regulations published by the organising association.
Château Comtal Night Trail starts at Carcassonne on 23 October
The Grand Raid des Cathares runs from 22 to 24 October 2026. Its night race starts on Friday 23 October at 8pm, with the Château Comtal ticket office named as the departure point. The finish is scheduled at Le Dôme after a three-hour time limit.
The organiser describes the event as a single-stage trail race run individually and at a free pace. The course covers approximately 12 km and includes 250 m of positive elevation. It follows a varied route along Cathar trails and is held entirely at night. The official programme lists the other races on 22, 23 and 24 October, including longer routes leaving from the Porte de Narbonne.
The race regulations state that the event is organised by the G.R.C. association. The night trail is open to participants from the age of 16, while the other races have different minimum ages. The organisers also say that the event can be changed or cancelled for safety reasons if conditions become too difficult, so the published regulations remain the key reference before the start. The tourist office programme gives the public event date and race details.
Carcassonne walls frame a night race through medieval history
The event takes its name from the Château Comtal, the castle within the fortified city. The castle stands on the western side of the historic enclosure, while the Porte de Narbonne forms one of the principal entrances. These features give the race a fixed setting within the monument rather than a start somewhere in the wider Carcassonne area.
UNESCO describes the site as a medieval fortified city with two enclosures, a castle, streets and a Gothic cathedral. The inner ramparts contain 26 circular towers, while the outer ramparts have 19 round towers. The setting is on a rocky outcrop above the Aude in the Occitanie region.
The appearance visitors see also reflects the restoration campaign led by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc from 1853 to 1879. That restoration is part of the reason UNESCO gives the property exceptional importance. The organisation further records that the Historic Fortified City of Carcassonne was inscribed on the World Heritage List in 1997. A night race beginning beside the castle therefore uses a departure point within a protected historic complex shaped by both medieval construction and nineteenth-century conservation. The UNESCO site description records the walls, castle, cathedral and restoration history.
What the 23 October trail means for the fortified city
The race is a sporting event at the monument and on surrounding trails, not an exhibition inside the castle. Its start at the Château Comtal ticket office links the programme directly to the principal castle complex, while the wider route continues through the Aude countryside. The organiser identifies the Grand Raid des Cathares as a nature race using paths, tracks and roads in the department.
The regulations also set out practical conditions for runners. Participants must follow the marked paths, carry a personal cup for refreshments and comply with road rules where the route uses public roads. The night format means that the race has a different physical character from a daytime walk around the ramparts. The organiser regulations specify the start point, timing and race conditions.
Visiting Cité de Carcassonne: what travellers from Western Europe should know
- The Château Comtal Night Trail starts on 23 October 2026 at 8pm from the Château Comtal ticket office inside Cité de Carcassonne.
- The event uses a 12 km night route with 250 m of positive elevation, so runners should expect darkness, uneven paths and a marked trail rather than a standard monument visit.
- The wider Grand Raid des Cathares programme begins on 22 October and continues until 24 October, with several starts at the Porte de Narbonne and an arrival at Le Dôme.
- The site is in Carcassonne, in the Aude department of France, on a rocky outcrop above the Aude. French is the official language and the currency is the euro.
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Frequently asked questions about Cité de Carcassonne
When does the Château Comtal Night Trail take place at Cité de Carcassonne?
It starts on 23 October 2026 at 8pm from the Château Comtal ticket office.
What is Cité de Carcassonne?
It is a fortified medieval city with a castle, Gothic cathedral, streets and two defensive enclosures. UNESCO inscribed the Historic Fortified City of Carcassonne on the World Heritage List in 1997.
Where is Cité de Carcassonne and how do you get there?
The site is in Carcassonne, France, on a rocky outcrop above the Aude. The night trail departure point is the Château Comtal ticket office inside the fortified city.
