Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Cost and Hours:
Free, daily June-Sept 9:00-18:30, Oct-May 9:00-12:00 &
14:00-18:30. Once inside, you'll pay €2 to enter the choir (worthwhile). The treasury (a
single room of reliquaries and church art) is not worth the €2 fee or the climb (€3 for both
with audioguide).
Organ Concerts:
The cathedral hosts frequent concerts (the TI has a schedule); free
organ concerts usually are offered in July and August (Sun at 16:00 and Wed at 17:00).
Self-Guided Tour:
Visit the cathedral using the following commentary.
• Begin facing the...
Exterior:
The cathedral looks less like a church and more like a fortress. That's be-
cause it was a central feature of the town's defensive walls. Notice how high the win-
dows are (out of stone-tossing range). The simple Gothic style was typical of this re-
gion—designed to be sensitive to the anti-materialistic tastes of the local Cathars.
The top (from the gargoyles and newer, brighter bricks upward) is a fanciful, 19th-
century, Romantic-era renovation. The church was originally as plain and austere as the
