Château de Montségur Historic Monument in Montségur

Traveller Reviews Google Château de Montségur

4.6 sur 5 2395 reviews

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  5 sur 5 Reviews posted by Meinolf R. on 12/02/2026

  The Château de Montségur is a fascinating place, but we need to do a quick historical check here, because there's a common misconception: Although the Templars and the Cathars (who made Montségur famous) existed at the same time, they actually had nothing to do with each other at this castle. Montségur was the last stronghold of the Cathars – the Templars, on the other hand, were an official order of the Catholic Church, which in turn persecuted the Cathars as heretics. Nevertheless, there are intriguing myths that connect the two! Montségur: The Cathars' "Holy Mountain" Montségur sits like a crown atop a 1,200-meter-high rocky promontory (Pog). It was the spiritual center of the Cathars. In 1244, a dramatic chapter of history came to an end here: After a months-long siege, the defenders capitulated, and over 200 Cathars chose to be burned at the stake rather than renounce their faith. The Connection to the Templars (Myth vs. Reality) Why are the Templars still often mentioned in the same breath as Montségur? The Holy Grail: Legends claim that the Cathars guarded the Grail on Montségur. Shortly before the castle fell, four Cathars are said to have rappelled down the rock face at night to retrieve a "treasure." Some theorists believe this treasure later fell into the hands of the Templars, or that the Templars hid it. Secret Knowledge: Both groups were ultimately destroyed by the French crown and the Church (the Cathars in the 13th century, the Templars in the 14th century). This fueled the theory that both orders shared a dark or sacred secret that the powerful feared. Architecture and Astronomy: Like some Templar chapels, the ruins of Montségur are perfectly aligned astronomically. At the summer solstice, the first rays of sunlight shine through the arrow slits, marking precise points inside—a phenomenon often attributed to "esoteric" orders like the Templars. What you need to know before visiting: The climb: The path is steep! It takes about 30 minutes to reach the summit. The hike is strenuous, but the energy up there is unparalleled. The "Prat dels Cremats": At the foot of the mountain stands a stele commemorating the "Field of the Burnt," where the funeral pyres were built. A very moving place. The view: From the top, you can see across the entire valley to your "old friend," Roquefixade Castle.

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  5 sur 5 Reviews posted by Jean-François Roux on 10/02/2026

  The Château de Montségur (Montsegur in Occitan) is an ancient fortified castle, known as a "Cathar" castle, rebuilt in 1206 but remodeled at the end of the 13th century. Its remains stand in the French commune of Montségur in the Ariège department, in the Occitanie region. History: The Château de Montségur was built on the site of the former castrum at the request of Raymond de Péreille, which, until the siege of 1244, served as a refuge for the Cathars and the faydits (Cathar rebels). It was partially restored after the Cathar surrender of 1244 by the family of the new lord of the manor, Guy II de Lévis. The castle on its current site has undergone three major periods during which the fortress was gradually transformed. An initial fortress, documented as early as the 12th century, was erected on the mountaintop, also called a pog. A pog (a free interpretation by Napoléon Peyrat) is an Ariège form of the Occitan word puèg/puòg, from the Latin pŏdĭum, meaning "eminence" (puech in Nîmes, or even puy elsewhere in France), used to designate the sugarloaf-shaped mountain of Montségur. This version is now commonly accepted, but exclusively in reference to Montségur. Little is known about this first fortress, except that it was in ruins around 1204, the year the fortified Cathar village was built under the direction of Raymond de Péreille. This is the fortified village, or castrum, that archaeologists have named "Montségur II." Since this was done away from the castrum, it is most likely that a burial ground was located at the intersection of the two roads (Montferrier-Lavelanet) at the foot of the pog. Everything relating to the geographical position of the place, to the writings and to the Capetians' relentless attacks against Montségur from 1244 onwards, suggests that it was, if not the capital, at least the stronghold of the Cathars in Occitania.

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  5 sur 5 Reviews posted by Hindee GOURY on 08/02/2026