Castles of the Dordogne: which to visit

Château de Beynac

Beynac has watched over the Dordogne from its limestone cliff, more than 150 metres above the river, since the 12th century. Richard the Lionheart held it in the 1190s, and Eleanor of Aquitaine and Simon de Montfort both passed through. During the Hundred Years’ War Beynac stayed in French hands while Castelnaud, across the river, sided with the English. Inside you’ll find the barbican and ramparts, a 13th-century kitchen with a vast fireplace, the hall where the barons of Périgord met, and the square 12th-century keep, with a view all round the valley. Film fans may recognise it from Les Visiteurs, Chocolat and Luc Besson’s Joan of Arc. Allow one and a half to two hours.

Holidays: Castles & Caves (day 4 ends at Beynac, day 5 starts there) and Cycling in the Dordogne (day 4).

Château de Castelnaud

Across the river from Beynac, its historic rival, Castelnaud stands on a rocky spur. Simon de Montfort took the first castle in 1214, during the crusade against the Cathars, and it was rebuilt in the 13th century. In the Hundred Years’ War its lords, the Caumonts, sided with the English, and it changed hands several times before the French took it for good. Abandoned from the 18th century, it has been restored since the 1960s and is now a museum of medieval warfare, with about 300 weapons and suits of armour. The castle also has full-size replicas of siege engines, including a trebuchet, and in season there are trebuchet firing demonstrations. It is open every day of the year, and it is a good one for grandchildren.

Holidays: Castles & Caves (day 5), Cycling in the Dordogne (day 4), and Premium Périgord, whose day 2 walk has views of Castelnaud.

Château des Milandes

Milandes was built in 1489 by François de Caumont, lord of Castelnaud, at the wish of his wife, Claude de Cardaillac. Its 20th-century story is the draw. Josephine Baker rented it before the war, used it for her Resistance work, bought it in 1947 and married in its chapel that year. She raised her twelve adopted children here, the “Rainbow Tribe”, until debts forced the sale of the château in 1968. In 2021 she was honoured with a place in the Panthéon in Paris. Today you can see rooms devoted to her life, gardens listed as a Jardin Remarquable and birds of prey displays in front of the château.

Holidays: Cycling in the Dordogne (day 4).

Château de Montfort

Montfort sits on a cliff above an almost perfect loop of the river, the Cingle de Montfort. Simon de Montfort destroyed it in the early 13th century, during the crusade against the Cathars, and it has been rebuilt several times since. It is a private home and not open to visitors, but you see it well from the paths and lanes below.

Holidays: Castles & Caves (day 6 passes beneath it) and Premium Périgord (day 4 passes it on the way to Sarlat).

The gardens of Marqueyssac

Marqueyssac has a château with a stone-slab roof, but people come for its hanging gardens, shaped from the early 19th century by Julien de Cerval. More than 150,000 box plants, many of them over a hundred years old and all clipped by hand, line over 6 km (3.7 miles) of paths. From the belvedere on the rocky spur you look over the river to Beynac, Castelnaud and La Roque-Gageac. On Thursday evenings in July and August the gardens are lit by candles; these evenings need booking, so check the official site. Dogs on a lead are welcome, which helps if yours is walking with you.

Holidays: Castles & Caves (day 5) and Premium Périgord (an option on the day 2 walk).

Château de Castelnau-Bretenoux

In the Lot, at Prudhomat, Castelnau-Bretenoux is a medieval fortress of red sandstone, with a 13th-century keep, high above the Cère and Dordogne valleys. It is looked after by the Centre des monuments nationaux. Jean Mouliérat, a tenor at the Opéra-Comique in Paris, bought it in 1896, spent his fortune restoring it and left it, with his collections, to the State when he died in 1932. Prosper Mérimée called it “a summary of the arts of the Middle Ages”. A visit takes about an hour, and the view takes in the Dordogne valley and the village of Loubressac.

Holidays: France’s Most Beautiful Villages (day 7 optional circular walk from Loubressac) and Exploring Rocamadour (the same walks, on day 6).

Château de Fénelon

Between Sarlat and Souillac, at Sainte-Mondane, Fénelon has a triple wall with eight towers, and one of the most imposing stone lauze roofs in the Périgord Noir. It was the birthplace, in 1651, of François de Salignac de La Mothe-Fénelon, author of Les Aventures de Télémaque and tutor to Louis XIV’s grandson. A great cedar of Lebanon stands before the entrance; tradition says it was planted for his birth. The terraces look out over the Dordogne valley, and Ridley Scott filmed The Last Duel here.

Holidays: Cycling in the Dordogne (day 2, on the riverside route from Souillac to Sarlat).

Choosing between them

• For medieval history and armour: Castelnaud and Beynac, which face each other across the river.
• For a remarkable life story: Milandes.
• For gardens and views: Marqueyssac.
• For a red-stone fortress in the Lot: Castelnau-Bretenoux.

Entrance fees aren’t included on our holidays, and opening times change each year, so check each château’s official site before you go.

Which holidays go there

Walking

Castles & Caves of the Dordogne

8 days · from £995 per person, sharing a double/twin room

8 days from £995 (9 and 10 days too). Beynac, Marqueyssac, Castelnaud and Montfort on foot, ending in Sarlat.

Cycling

Cycling in the Dordogne

8 days · from £1,250 per person, sharing a double/twin room

8 days from £1,250. Fénelon, Beynac, Castelnaud and Milandes by bike. Day 4 is 41 km (25 miles), so choose one or two to visit.

NewPremium · Walking

Premium Périgord

A Gourmet Journey

6 days · from £950 per person, sharing a double/twin room

6 days from £950. Views of Castelnaud, an optional visit to Marqueyssac and the walk past Montfort.

Walking

France’s Most Beautiful Villages

8 days · from £965 per person, sharing a double/twin room

8 days from £965. Castelnau-Bretenoux on the day 7 walks.

Walking

Exploring Rocamadour

8 days · from £975 per person, sharing a double/twin room

8 days from £975. Castelnau-Bretenoux as an option on the day 6 circular walks from Loubressac.