Canoeing, Chateaus and Castles in the Dordogne
Trip Start
Sep 13, 2011
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20
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Trip End
Oct 20, 2011
What I did
Canoed and walked from Domme to Beynac
Beynac, Aquitaine, France
Monday, October 3, 2011
The early part of our night was punctuated by an extremely loud barking dog, and then a series people attempting to open our door. I think late at night and after a little drink some were not putting on the hall light and making a mistake, but it was concerning.
After a hot evening the morning was very crisp. Arno had told us it had been 6 degrees the morning before, and I think it was this morning. Our little hotel had only a few of us at breakfast of a croissant and baguette and a cream café or expresso. The owners son was there getting ready for school and went off to the small local school just before we left.
We walked out of the village down the hill through the one of the old gates, stopping to collect windfall walnuts by the side of the road. In 30 minutes we had reached the river to hire a canoe to take down the Dordogne for part of our journey today. The sun was still not very high in the sky when we set off on the river and it was very pleasant. No one else around except one fisherman by the banks.
The canoe could go gently with the current with us speeding up at times and correcting direction. A few times it was a little tricky with shallow rocky depths and large rocks, but generally very easy.
Our first stop was La Roque Gageac, a village built between the river and against a cliff. The remnants of a Troglodyte fort of guard posts and ramparts were visible up the cliff just behind the medieval village. Though it is a very pretty spot, I don't know how people live is this dangerous spot where there have been numerous significant rock slides from the cliffs, killing people and destroying homes.
Back in the canoe we could see Chateau de Castlenaud as we came to our next stop to walk the 2kms to the gardens at the Chateau de Marqueyssac.
They were originally developed for Bertrand Vernet de Marqueyssac in the 17th century by Le Notre who also landscaped Versailles, and then extended in the 1800’s. They were listed as a National Historical Monument and restored and opened to the public in 1997. These gardens are magnificent. Set on a high point for the area with a view around the Dordogne Valley, there is over 6 kilometres of paths, gazebos, massive areas of topiary, herb gardens and hedges. Parts of the chateau were open and furnished. Peacocks roamed free, the restaurant had a view of the valley.
The house with 300 tons of stone in the roof, the restaurant very tempting.
It had been a very hot walk up the hill to the gardens, so we looked forward to being on the river for the rest of our trip to Beynac. The main attraction; which more than meets our expectations, was the Chateau de Beynac.
We saw it first towering into the sky from the village as we floated around our final bend to alight from the canoe. The walk to the hotel for the river was basically flat, then it was the steepest walk I think I have yet done in these hilly villages to get to the Chateau. 450 feet above the river to the keep at the top of the tower.
This 1115 AD Middle Ages castle is incredibly preserved and maintained, with the current owners living in part of it!!!! It felt like being back in the Middle Ages as we walked around lower then upper courtyards, then entered the guards’ room seeing it set up with its table with swords racked at the end, huge weaponry on the walls, looked up and down the guards’ staircase going through the whole castle and then stood in the state hall.
Many details of how they would have lived in the 12th to 14th century were available. The central courtyard where rain water was collected to store in underground wells, the ramp running through the kitchen where guards could ride through fully mounted, and the kitchen itself with a huge cooking fireplace, tables to feed the guards and the storage of wood and ale.
A lot of local and general history attached to the place, with Richard the 1st (the Lionheart) took over the castle in 1189 until 1199, and we could look into his room on the walk. The castle was a central part of holding back the English from moving further into France, and few other English managed to take over the area by capturing the castle.
The village of Beynac was used for the filming of the movie Chocolate. I can imagine some of the scenes that I remember in this village.
It was a fantastic day!!!! The canoeing down the Dordogne River, seeing the villages, the gardens and then the Chateau du Beynac, all so interesting and beautiful.
Comments
Claire & Michael, I like your choice of a comfy & luxurious 'chateau' in which to 'stay'. Maybe someone else I know could be persuaded to take a page from your travel blog. This said person may also have some comments to add about Richard the Lionhearted seeing their names are one in the same. Love your blog which I am only just catching up with after a week away.