Bastille Day in France – A Pyrotechnical Extravaganza!

If you are a lover of fireworks, the place to be on the evening of July 14th is Carcassonne in Southwest France. Here will be France’s biggest display of pyrotechnics to celebrate Bastille Day, although the French simply call it “Quatorze Juillet”.

It was on the same day back in 1789 that crowds of Parisians stormed the Bastille fortress in Paris, triggering the start of the French Revolution and the downfall of the monarchy.

The firework display at Carcassonne will be watched by thousands and as it is a Public Holiday, many travel to the surrounding area much earlier in the day to secure the best view. There’s a really relaxed party atmosphere, with families setting up picnics alongside the Canal du Midi or River Aude.

 

Carcassonne 14 juillet 2017

The locals will be joined by approximately 500,000 people as those from Montpellier, Toulouse and even Northern Spain, as well as any keen photographers, and will need to stake out their spaces well in advance so that they can witness the most spectacular multi-coloured explosions above La Cité’s ramparts.

The fireworks display is co-ordinated immaculately – even the streetlights are dimmed to produce as clear a night sky as possible – before the display starts at precisely 10.25pm.

A truly memorable occasion – Vive La France!