Heading north from Lavelanet in the direction of Carcassonne, it's definitely worth taking a look at MIREPOIX, a late thirteenth-century bastide built around one of the loveliest surviving arcaded market squares in the country. The square is bordered by houses dating from between the thirteenth and the fifteenth centuries, and a relatively harmonious modern halle on one side, but its highlight is the medieval Maison des Consuls (council house), whose arcaded rafters are carved with hundreds of unique portrayals of animals, monsters, and caricatures of medieval social groups and professions, as well as ethnic groups from across the world.There's a tourist office in the main square (Mon–Sat 9am–noon & 2–6pm; tel 05.61.68.83.76, www.ot-mirepoix.fr). If you're feeling extravagant, you could stay on the main square in the Maison des Consuls (tel 05.61.68.81.81, fax 05.61.68.81.15; €55–70); otherwise head for the Hôtel Le Commerce, on the boulevard encircling the old town near the church (tel 05.61.68.10.29, fax 05.61.68.20.29; €30–40; closed Jan & part Oct). There's a municipal campsite on the Limoux road (tel 05.61.01.55.44; closed mid-Sept to mid-June). The best restaurant is the Porte d'Aval (tel 05.61.68.19.19; closed Mon) on cours Maréchal de Mirepoix, which specializes in regional dishes from €15. Unfortunately, the only bus link from Mirepoix is to Pamiers – to get to Carcassonne without transport, you'll have to hitch.
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