Lapradelle-Puilaurens

Lapradelle-Puilaurens village situated at the bottom of the Podio Laurenti is a mixture of old and new. Puilaurens is situated in the lower part of the valley Boulzane and Campérié. On the northern part of the village sits Puilaurens Cathare Castle. The "new town" of Lapradelle appeared at the convergence of the Boulzane and the Fenouillèdes valley at the very end of the 19th century. The amazing masterpiece of what is the viaduct of 190m-high testifies of the importance of the railway in the past. In fact, Lapradelle was the main stop between Rivesaltes and Quillan.

Lapradelle-Puilaurens is surrounded by forests one of them being the public forest of Les Fanges. Les Fanges previously royal forest, was booming under Colbert who ketp the best pine trees for the wood of the Galions of Louis XIV. A 7 kilometer-wall was built to separate the royal domain to the public forest, in fact you can still see the fleur-de-lis on remains. In the 9th century the Puilaurens region is called "The Valley of the Saint Cross" part of the Fenouillèdes County which at the time is the estate of the Bésalus' Count.

Puilaurens Castle
It is believed that the castle of Puilaurens on the Ardu mount (697m) was built between 958 and 986 on the remains of an old bastion built by the Visigoths. The rock was used so they could carve the stones on site. The original castle was quite modest, built as a square tower got mentioned in 985 in a King Lothar's text. Of a notable shape the castle restored and enlarged in the 12th century has a magnificent mode of defence. In fact, each corner is flanked a defensive tower and an esplanade. Puilaurens is part of the "Five sons of Carcassonne" like the castles of Termes, Aguilar, Peyrepertuse and Quéribus. St Louis King of France made Puilaurens (original name Pueg Laurenc) a fortified castle in 1255. It has the role of sentinel and watched the possible enemy attack from the south alongside the other four and could protect Carcassonne. The watch of Puilaurens spread from the Boulzane Valley to the Aude height via the cols of Albouch and Campérie in the forest of En Malo. Because of its impressive architecture, the access is not made easy. You must go around the left side of the mountain and walk on a steep road going up the river Boulzane and arrive at the bottom of the castle. You then hike for a good 15 minutes via a special botanical path. (Path rearrange by the National Forest Office) which takes you to a winding path. There are the fortifications with arrow slit. A staircase built in 1991 allows you to get inside the site. Immense and well preserved the castle offers you breathtaking views. Under the donjon lies secret passages used to stock supplies but mainly to escape via the north face of the mountain. It was difficult to attack the castle from the front. A few attacks from the Aragonese were fought off once in 1473 and a second time in 1495 but didn't succeed! It is thanks to the help of a spy that the Spanish took it over in 1635. They attacked the castle when part of the army was in Leucate to help other troops and the rest were out getting food supplies. By the time the Treaty of the Pyrénées (1659) was signed the castle had lost all importance and got abandoned. A garrison was kept up until 1804 however it was held by men called "mortes payes" it meant that they did not get paid for the job but they were exempt from taxes.

Useful Information

Château de Puilaurens
Tél. : 04 68 20 65 26
E-mail : contact@chateau-puilaurens.com
tarifs : 7€ adulte ; 4€ enfant (6 à 15 ans) ; 6€ groupe (10 adultes)

ouverture :
avril, octobre, novembre : 10h – 17h
mai, juin, septembre : 10h - 18h

juillet-août : 9h- 19h