8 Must-Visit Chateaux in the Dordogne

The Dordogne region is synonymous with chateaux and is often referred to as the ‘land of 1001 chateaux’. You’ll find beautiful castles at every turn – large fortresses, renaissance castles, manor homes. We’re still blown away by the concentration of chateaux in the area.

So if you’re planning a trip to the region and haven’t got time to get round all 1001 chateaux, we’ve come to the rescue and have compiled a list of the top must-visit castles in the Dordogne.

Map of the top chateaux in the Dordogne

This handy map will show you at glance where these must-visit castles are located and will help you plan your visits more efficiently depending on where you’re based. For instance, you’ll quickly notice that the Chateau de Beynac, the Chateau de Castelnaud and the Chateau des Milandes are concentrated in the one area of the Périgord noir. If you’re staying in that area (around Sarlat), we’d highly recommend that you focus on these 3 castles. The Dordogne department is one of the largest in France and distances between sites can often be deceiving!

Chateau de Castelnaud

This is one of the best known and most visited castles in the Dordogne. The Chateau de Castelnaud dates back to the early 13th century and has a colourful history. It was involved in a tug-of-war battle between the English and the French during the Hundred Years War. It swapped hands seven times over the course of the war before eventually being definitively captured by the French.

It’s located in the Périgord noir and is an absolute must on your Dordogne itinerary! The village of Castelnaud is also worth a visit along with a trip to the river.

Chateau de Beynac

Moving on to the Chateau de Beynac… This 12th century domineering fortress sits atop a rocky outcrop 150 meters above the Dordogne river and was the Chateau de Castelnaud’s ancient arch rival. It’s also located in the Périgord noir and definitely ranks in the top 3 must visit castles of the region. It can be seen across the valley if you’re visiting the Chateau de Castelnaud. 

Unsurprisingly, it also featured in a number of films including The Joan of Arc Film and the hilarious The Visitors 2. The exhibits are less extensive than the likes of Castelnaud, however, it’s worth the visit for the view alone.

Chateau des Milandes

The Chateau des Milandes, also known as the Josephine Baker castle, is one of our all-time favourites and is one of the top three castles that I recommend to our gite guests. This XVth century fairytale castle was built by Lord François de Caumont around 1489 for his wife as she strongly disliked living in the cold, austere fortress ‘Chateau de Castelnaud’ that was her home.

In 1947, the castle was bought by the 1920s dancer, Josephine Baker, after she fell in love with the chateau and the Dordogne region. She spent some of the happiest years of her life here with her ‘rainbow tribe’ of 12 adopted children. After almost 30 years, she sadly lost her home to bankruptcy. The castle now celebrates her life and showcases what a truly remarkable woman she was. Throughout your visit, you’ll get to see many of her stage outfits including the iconic banana skirt as well as the ‘croix d’honneur’ which she was awarded for her incredible role in the French resistance. There’s a wonderful bird of prey show which will entertain young and old alike (not during the winter months).

Chateau de Commarque

The Chateau de Commarque stands on a rocky outcrop and offers a taste of both prehistory as well as life in the middle ages.  This spectacular site is much more than just a solitary castle, it’s the ruins of a small medieval village and some troglodyte caves thrown in for fun.

There are a number of fun workshops on offer during the school holidays including archery sessions, calligraphy, sculpture and more. It is in fact a very child-friendly place with kids’ quizzes, loads to explore and some traditional medieval games in the amazing restored tower.

The setting is quite stunning. At the base of the castle is a peaceful green valley with a trickling stream, while beautiful chateau de Laussel beams at you from the opposite hillside. It’s no wonder that this unique place has featured on the silver screen over the years, the most notable movie being The Duellists with the actor Harvey Keitel.

Chateau de Hautefort

Chateau de Biron

The 12^th century Chateau de Biron is located in the south of the department (Périgord pourpre) close to the beautiful bastide town of Monpazier (well worth a visit!). It sits at the top of the charming village of Biron and offers stunning panoramic views across the countryside. Due to its history, it’s been built in a number of architectural styles including Renaissance and medieval, however, this simply lends to its charm. Make sure you pick up the audio guides in order to fully appreciate the history of the place.

It’s worth noting that compared to other castles, the interior is fairly sparse so do not expect to see lots of classical furnishings. However, it is a chateau with a difference – every year, it puts on an impressive modern art exhibition during the course of several months. There are also guided tours as well as workshops for children during the school holidays.

Chateau de Bridoire

Located near Bergerac, the 12^th century Chateau de Bridoire will especially appeal to visitors travelling with children. This castle should be renamed the Games Chateau! There are traditional wooden games in every corner of the castle – inside the castle, in the grounds, in the attic, in the dungeon. It’s a great place to spend some time if you’re flying out of Bergerac airport and have some time to kill before your flight!

The chateau was left to rack and ruin for many years before being purchased by the Guyot family who undertook remarkable restoration works and eventually opened it to the public around 2012.

They also introduced a Mysterious Valley walk which involves undertaking various tasks, challenges, riddle-solving during the course of a 3km woodland walk.

It’s worth noting that this castle closes over the winter time – check their website for up-to-date opening hours.

Chateau de Monbazillac

Dating back to the 16^th century, the Chateau de Monbazillac is located south of Bergerac in the land of wine! It sits in the heart of the Dordogne wine region (the Périgourd pourpre) and is surrounded by row upon row of vines. The chateau has been owned by the Monbazillac Cooperative Winery since 1960 and your visit will therefore combine both wine and history! Un Monbazillac is in fact a sweet white wine which is usually served as an aperitif, with foie gras or as a dessert wine and comes from this particular area.

You can buy a ticket to visit the inside of the chateau (3 floors to explore) which is rounded off with a wine tasting or alternatively you can simply wander the grounds freely.

It’s worth noting that this castle closes over the winter time – check their website for up-to-date opening hours.

So there you have it, our round-up of some of the must-visit castles in the Dordogne! Have we missed any? Let us know in the comments below!

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