chateau de castelnaud

Got to be the best castle in France, and they have just completed a full refurbishment last year. Great when they fire off the cannon s. Make sure you give it a bit of time to do it justice.

We visited Castelnaud on our trip to the Dordogne in September. We enjoyed the displays, the videos (some were in English, nice for us!), and the grounds. The views from the castle are stunning with the Dordogne River sparkling its way along. The little town surrounding Castelnaud lets the imagination flow with thoughts of how it once was in days of old. Definitely worth a visit....

If you only see one castle in this area, this is it. It is a wonderful example of medieval castle construction. It has many exhibits of the weapons of the era, especially catapults. There are also several rooms with excellent films about the castle and weapons. I do not recommend this tour for people with mobility problems. It is also hike just to get to the entrance but it is worth it. Enjoy the great views of the Dordogne River Valley.

Across the Dordoigne River from its historical rival, Chateau de Beynac, this 13th century castle is also built on a mountainside overlooking the river. As well as the well-preserved chateau and reconstructed sections, there are a number of good exhibits illustrating its history as a fortress, which give a great sense of how a medieval castle would have operated. Well worth a Dordoigne day trip, particularly if you rent a car and visit both chateaux in the same day.

When in the area you have to go here. This is a stunning castle with lot's of history and historic artifact and in particularly the weaponry which my young boys absolutely loved to learn about!There are lot's of rooms to wander around in (and cool down on a hot summers day) Great views over the surrounding valleys. Lot's of little restaurants around the castle to enjoy and of course the souvenir shops selling crossbows and swords for the kids among other stuff.Been here twice and probable go again next year, just a great time spend. For those with push chairs bear in mind that this was not build not with pushchairs in mind (clearly of course). Steep and small stairs and corridors are everywhere!

The cannon demonstrations were done with great enthusiasm. Real crowd pleaser. Great collection of middle age weapons and armour highlighted this visit.

Amazing collection of medieval weapons, coupled with historic structure and stories of the Hundred Years War. Steep climb but certainly worth the effort. Would not recommend for anyone with difficulty walking.

My visit made me wish I had brought my now-grown sons here when they were young. They would have loved it. Tourist Office in Sarlat suggested it as possibly more interesting to visit than Beynac since it has exhibits and is a museum of medieval weapons. Good film and great exhibits...and ALOT of steps to climb. It is physically challenging for some older adults, but the payoff is not only the castle and weaponry, but the spectacular views of the Dordogne that made all the climbing worthwhile.

For any Medieval buff, this Chateau is the one to see...Incredibly imposing, seemingly growing out and up from the cliffs lining the Dordogne river, it is sparkling in grandeur and stone.Easy to spend quite a while here...from viewing the spectacle below, to climbing the spiral stone stairs up to the top.There are some films presenting armor, and the life of archers and knights...The weaponry displayed is marvellous, and there is a great collection from all over Europe.A definite visit....

Be ready to climb your way up to and inside the castle. But it's lovely, the panoramic view is amazing, and the weapon exhibits really interesting. My 10 years old daughter got to try an armor there, it was an amazing experience for us all !

If you pick your day, and we recommend early september, when you can still have the summer heat but fewer people (school starts again in France), you can enjoy the place pretty much by yourself. The narrow and steep stairs make for some exercise, and there reward up there is:- The display: weaponry, artefacts, stories, pictures, tools etc and- The view! over the village itself, the Dordogne valley, with people kayaking or swimming, other old castles on the hills across... Spectacular, stunning. The whole set-up is great, very well maintained. Leave your pram at the gate, and prefer a baby carrier, as all the stairs would not be easy with a pram. When you're done with the visit, you can reward yourself with a nice salad or even a decent meal at one of the many restaurants in the village. Friendly, quiet. Lovely.

Set high on a hill overlooking the river, this 13th century castle is a real mighty medieval fortress. There's an amazing display of armoury and weapons, including catapults.Unlike a lot of the castles in this area of France, there is no compulsory guided tour. So visitors can wander through the castle and ramparts at their own pace. There are a lot of step narrow steps to climb. This is one of the best medieval castles I have ever seen.

A medieval castle set in absolute stunning scenery- how can you beat that? Just down the road is the delightful little place of La Roque-Gageac, which is one of the most picturesque places I've been too.

Spent several hours looking through this restored renaissance castle; lots of climbing up narrow steep stairs to reach the various levels (4-5?); there are films at different levels describing life in those ages, with educational English sub titles. Worth a visit and we bought the ticket in association with visiting the Jardine de Marqueyssac; not sure if we got much of a discount by combining the two attractions however? Don’t come in the middle of the day – it gets very hot!

The English language written guide is sketchy and short, but that is the only drawback to a visit to this wonderful place. One hint: drive to the top of Castlenaud and walk back down to the fortress. To walk up from the river is a real challenge, even for those in good shape. It is a long drive up, but just keep following the signs.The walk through the castle is also steep, with many stone stairs, so this is not a place for those with mobility issues. The videos are good, but at least one did not have English subtitles, while others did. The fortress is immaculate and the renovations are among the best we've seen in France. There is a combined ticket with the gardens of Marqueyssac, which saves just a little money.