The Padern castle (fr. Château de Padern) is a ruined castle in the commune of Padern in the Aude département, France (Occitania).
It is part of the so-called Cathar castles of France.
The castle is little known in the area, because it did not play a very important part during the crusade against the Albigensians, unlike the neighbouring castles of Termes, Queribus or Peyrepertuse.
The exact year of construction is not known, but the village of Padern is recorded in 899, when Charles III, known as Charles the Simple, ceded the territory to Lagrasse Abbey, while the latter still belonged to the Counts of Toulouse, and not to the crown of France.
Coordinates: 45°52′30″N 2°39′20″E
How to get to?
From Paris: 8 hr 36 min (842 km) via A71 and A75
From Toulouse: 2 hr 11 min (179 km) via A61
From Andorra: 3 hr 9 min (157 km) via D613
From Barcelona: 2 hr 41 min (236 km) via AP-7
From Madrid: 8 hr 31 min (841 km) via A-2 and AP-2
From Monaco: 5 hr 18 min (491 km) via A8 and A9
From Moscow: 36 hr (3,416 km) via E30/M1
From Belgrade: 17 hr 31 min (1,795 km) via E70
From Istanbul: 28 hr (2,744 km) via E70
From Bern: 7 hr 28 min (749 km) via A9
See here Pyrenees travel guide
See here France travel guide
See here Spain travel guide
