Discovering More About Quillan

Quillan sits at the top of the Haute Valley and is nestled in the mountains with the River Aude running through the town.  It is a beautiful river and well known for kayaking, canoeing and rafting.  Our friend, Chris, also tells us it is great for fishing for trout and salmon.  Rod can hardly wait!

The railway line from Carcassonne runs to Quillan stopping in Limoux and Esperaza on the way.  Leaving Quillan the highway runs to Perpignan and from there the world is your oyster as they say! Down to Barcelona or up to Narbonne and the TGV lines across the South of France.

 The ancient stone arched bridge across the Aude, beside a main town square, is picturesque.  The Tour de France goes right through Quillan and is a layover for the Tour.

Quillan is a town filled with history.  The first record of Quillan was Calianum, Quilhanus in 781, Quillanum in 1145 and Quillanus in 1247.The early town of Quillan grew up around the chateau on the right bank (east side) of the river Aude. In the 11th-12th centuries the inhabitants began expanding across the river to the right bank, creating the suburb of La Hille at the southern edge of the current town. 

In 1247, Quillan was declared a proper town by King Louix IX (Saint Louis). In the 13th century, the Archbishops of Narbonne had a new town built, with long, parallel streets, and this became progressively the heart of Quillan.

Standing above Quillan is the 13th-century dungeon of the original fortress built in 1223. That chateau was built on the ruins of the more ancient 5th-century Visigoth fortress of Kilianus, and parts of the basement date back to the 7th century. The old Gallo-Roman oppidum Kilianus was a strategic point in the High Valley of the Aude river. On this spot you could watch over the mountain pass and the through road from the Pyrenees towards Carcassonne. From this ancient period Quillan has always been inhabited.The Chateau de Quillan was burnt by the Huguenots in 1575. In 1736, the chateau was dismantled, and the site was sold by the French Revolution.

This historical town is sill lively today! Each week throughout the year, local markets welcome you to discover flavors and specialties:

• Wednesday and Saturday morning in Quillan
• Thursday and Sunday morning Espéraza

Also every Thursday in the summer, there are night markets and lively music on the Republic Square in Quillan.

 We get really excited to get back to Quillan!  We cannot wait to explore all of the activities Quillan has to offer, as well as all the history of the surrounding area!