From the XI century on, the Castle of Termes housed the Lords of Termes, who owned the wide border district which bordered with Aragon. The aristocratic family had frequent conflicts with the close abbey of Lagrasse and it adhered to the Catharist heresy. Raymond de Termes was accused of heresy and Bénoit de Termes, perhaps his brother, was parfait and Catharist bishop of Razès. In 1210 the castle was besieged by Simon de Monfort and it was taken due to the lack of drinking water. It was confiscated and destroyed in the XVII century because its defensive function was not necessary anymore when the border of the reign of France shifted more to the west. The castle can be visited, even though the ruins date back to the XIII century reconstruction, after the end of the crusade: tel. 33 (0)4 68 70 09 20, 33 (0)4 68 70 10 71. The medieval hamlet of Termes arose in that same period, in a meander of the stream Sou.