Near Le Phénix Chambres d'Hôtes - Cordes Sur Ciel
(40 minutes from Le Phénix)
Cordes
Sometimes known as Cordes-sur-Ciel, this is a fitting description as the town seems suspended against the skyline. It is perched on top of a rocky outcrop overlooking the Cérou valley. During the 13th century Cathar wars, the entire town was excommunicated. Devastating epidemics of plague later sent it into decline, and the town was in an advanced state of decay at the beginning of the 20th Century.
Cordes
Restoration works began in the 1940s and the ramparts and many of the gates built in 1922 have been well preserved. Also intact are Gothic houses like the 14th century Maison du Grand Fauconnier, with falcons carved on its façade and the Maison du Grand Veneur which lines the steep cobbled streets.
Today, Cordes, though now totally dependent on tourism, is home to an ironmonger, an enameller and a sculptor of figurines, not to mention weavers, engravers, sculptors and painters, who practise their crafts in the beautiful old houses whose original appearance has been so successfully conserved.
The upper town is closed to traffic in the Summer months but can be reached by shuttle bus or a 15 minute walk up the steep cobbled streets!
Useful Links:
Cordes Sur Ciel Information