Carcassonne splits neatly in two for shoppers: the Bastide Saint-Louis below with real markets, bookshops and liqueur houses, and the walled Cité above with its souvenir gauntlet. Knowing which door to open is the whole game.
Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday mornings roughly 80 stalls fill the 18th-century square: Montagne Noire goat cheese, Lauragais honey, Corbières olives and haricots lingots. Bring cash, most traders pack down at 13:00.
The Bastide's quiet pedestrian spine, one block off the market square: independent bookshops, a stationer, small jewellers and old-school fabric shops. Most close 12:30-14:30, so this is a browse-then-lunch window.
The old road from the Pont Vieux up to the Cité, lined with brocante shops, a couple of galleries and dealers in Languedoc farmhouse furniture, copper pans, faience and vintage wine-cellar tools. Prices are negotiable in cash.
Carcassonne's own distillery, working since 1868, best known for the quinquina aperitif Or-Kina plus vermouths and fruit liqueurs. Bottles are corked and boxed for luggage, and tastings are poured at the counter.
The main boutique artery of the Bastide Saint-Louis, running from Place Carnot toward the station: French mid-range fashion labels, shoe shops, opticians and perfumeries in 19th-century arcaded frontages. Opens at 10:00 sharp.
A short parallel street of food shops and traiteurs: charcuterie counters with saucisse de Toulouse, patisseries, and delis selling duck confit in jars. Good for a standing lunch between shop stops before the afternoon reopening.
The out-of-town retail hub west of the centre by the airport road, anchored by a hypermarket with chain fashion, electronics and a wine aisle stocking Cabardès and Minervois at supermarket rather than boutique prices.
The artisan strip on the Bastide side of the medieval bridge: leatherworkers, ceramicists and small ateliers where the maker is usually the person behind the counter. Several stay open until 19:00 in summer.
The souvenir run inside the Cité from the Porte Narbonnaise: replica swords, chainmail, heraldic shields and Cathar-cross pendants. Quality swings wildly, so check for a forged tang rather than a cast decorative blade.
Tinned and jarred cassoulet from Languedoc producers, plus the glazed earthenware cassole the dish is named for. The pot survives an oven at home and travels far better than a tin through airport security.
A 17th-century estate five kilometres north-west of town, held by the Lorgeril family since 1620. The caveau sells Cabardès and Minervois direct, and tastings run through several appellations before you commit to a case.
The Cité's back lanes behind the main drag, where soapmakers, candle workshops and small ceramic studios sit among the restaurant terraces. The day-trip crowds have gone by now and shopkeepers actually have time to talk.