DORDOGNE - Beynac-et-Cazenac

Having seen so many beautiful places in the Dordogne, I was slightly disappointed with Beynac-et-Cazenac at first sight, but that was before I discovered the château and the old town!

My plan was to head up to the château first which is a couple of kilometres above the village and then explore the village afterwards. I could feel my hackles rise as I realised that once again I would be charged for parking at the château, but it turned out to be just 2€ and the ticket was valid for all the other parking areas – including the lower town – so it wasn’t so bad.



Most of the châteaux in this area are actually fortified castles rather than the stately home type châteaux of the Loire and other areas I’ve visited, and Beynac is no exception. Some of the rooms have been set up to illustrate castle life through the ages such as the kitchen, the great hall and other reception rooms, more opulent in style.

Flags adorn the walls as do weapons and even suits or amour, so there is no doubting that this is first and foremost a feudal castle.

Visitors can climb the towers where the views are stunning and you can really appreciate the strategic positioning, and the difficulty for invaders. It is said that Richard the 1st (Richard the Lionheart) stayed here in 1194.



For some reason, the Château de Beynac really captured my imagination, and if the village of Saint Léon sur Vezère was like something out of a Miss Marple film, The Château de Beynac could be the set for a Cadfael mystery!



The village below is actually very pretty once you turn off the main road, and it is worthwhile spending some time just wandering through the cobbled streets and passageways. I made the mistake of following the sign marked ‘vieille ville’ which is a pedestrianised street and also gives access to the château by foot (1200m). What they don’t say on the sign is that the ascent is virtually vertical for the first 100m or so, and I was desperately in need of oxygen by the time I got to the top!

Fortunately, it soon levels off and you have a lovely view of the sandstone houses with the Dordogne River below where the Gabarres meander along. The houses are also adorned with flowers, so it’s a nice deviation.

Rather that retrace my steps, I followed the path down to river level and walked back along to rejoin the lower town. I was tempted to pass the time of day in one of the cafés lining the riverbanks, but with so much else to see and do, it was time to push on to Belvès.