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Château de Beynac

Rue de la Balme, Beynac-et-Cazenac, Nouvelle-Aquitaine

Description

The Beynac Castle is located in the village of Beynac-et-Cazenac in the Dordogne department of southwestern France and is one of the best-preserved medieval castles in the area. It is built atop a limestone cliff, dominating both the town and the Dordogne river 150m down below. It was built in the 12th century for defensive purpose with double moats, a large keep, and double crenelated walls. In the 17th century, it was extended to include more residential space. Visitors will also be able to admire various tapestries.

Access & Transport

Located 12km southwest of Sarlat (15mins drive) along the D57. Sarlat is on the train line from Bordeaux (2h20mins) and Bergerac (1h05mins). Those are also the closest airports. By car, Bordeaux is about 195km away (2h15mins) and Bergerac 62km (1h05mins). There is a parking on the upper side of the village, 1min walk from the entrance and one on the lower side which is a 20mins to the castle.

Instructions & Recommendations

This activity can be combined with the visit of the Marqueyssac Gardens, less than a 5min drive away. You can also consider a short boat trip on the Dordogne, there is an operator in Beynac itself that uses traditional crafts called "gabarres" and proposes a 50mins cruise.

Meta review

This castle is highly rated by guidebooks and one of the region's star attractions. Reviews from visitors are overwhelmingly positives with adjectives such as "breath-taking" regularly finding their way in comments alongside "movie-like". Some visitors even qualify Beynac as the best defensive castle they have seen so far. It is not all perfect though and there are some recurring complaints about the lack of info for non-French speakers and the crowd during the peak season.

Environmental & Social

We deem this activity environmentally neutral. Preserves the region's architectural and cultural heritages and brings some economic influx to the village.

Conclusion

The château de Beynac has it all in our view: an exceptional location, well preserved structure, plenty of character and great surroundings (villages and countryside). In our opinion, this is a must visit in Dordogne and ranks high in the list of sights in southwestern France.

Key positive

Striking architecture and vantage point

Interesting info provided and history

Key negative

Can feel too touristy during the peak season

Suitability

Suitable for all ages. Not accessible for visitors with reduced mobility

About this Rating

TYPE

Onsite

RESEARCHED IN

May 2024

PROVIDER

Koreval

Included Items
None
Timing
Duration of visit
Expect the visit using the audio-guide to last 50-60mins

av. transport time:0h 45m

est. visit time:1h 15m

Regulated hours

Monday10:00 - 19:00

Tuesday10:00 - 19:00

Wednesday10:00 - 19:00

Thursday10:00 - 19:00

Friday10:00 - 19:00

Saturday10:00 - 19:00

Sunday10:00 - 19:00

Pricing
Advanced booking required
Age band
Age band
Regular price / pers.
Group price / pers.
Senior
65 - 99
€11.5
7
Adult
17 - 64
€11.5
7
Teen & Young
11 - 16
€7
4.5
Child
5 - 10
€0
3.5
Infant
0 - 4
€0
0
Audio-guide is included

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