Built during the late 12th century on a 605m-high promontory 58km southwest of Carcassonne via the D118 and D620, Puivert belonged to the aristocratic Congost family, who were high-profile members of the Cathar movement. It was besieged in 1210 by Thomas Pons de Bruyères-le-Chatel, who took control of the castle and oversaw its redevelopment. Five of the eight corner towers remain. Sadly, it's now in a poor state of repair and is almost always closed.