Visiting Chateau de Beynac, France

Château de Beynac has stood guard over the Dordogne Valley in France for over nine centuries. Construction began in the 12th century, a period of feudal power struggles. The early residents, the Barons de Beynac, built it as a formidable fortress with a keep, curtain walls, and a watchtower. This strategic perch allowed them to control the surrounding territory and the lucrative trade routes along the Dordogne River.

Over the centuries, Château de Beynac witnessed the ebb and flow of power. It played a significant role in the Hundred Years' War (1337-1453) between France and England. The castle's fortifications were strengthened to withstand English sieges, and it remained under French control throughout the conflict. The castle's architecture reflects these adaptations, with later additions like gun loopholes catering to the changing warfare tactics.

Despite its military history, Château de Beynac wasn't solely a fortress. The Barons de Beynac also expanded the castle, adding residential quarters that showcased their wealth and status. The castle remained in the Beynac family for over 500 years, a testament to their enduring influence in the region.

Parking is very limited in the village of Beynac, and there are several lots as you proceed up the Route de Château hill. If you were to park at either of those parking lots (both are payant types), you would still have quite a hike to get to the Château entrance. We did some research and found that if we continued to the top of the Route de Château and then turned right and followed it as it descended back towards the Chateau, it leads to a parking lot immediately behind the Château de Beynac entrance (On the map, that lot is titled as "Parking Bus Château de Beynac").

TIP: You have to get Château de Beynac very early (the Château opens at 10AM) because the parking lots fill up very quickly. We parked at 9:30AM, fed the payant machine, strolled over to the Château entrance and purchased our entrance tickets when they opened a few minutes later. If you get here later in the day, you are going to run the risk of not being able to park, or worse, you will wind up cruising around hoping for somebody to depart so you can grab their parking space.

The first column below ("All Trip Destinations") lists all of our major trip destinations (for this trip) and the next four columns list each of our trip "basecamps" and then a list of what we explored from that basecamp. Each destination name is linked to it's page - so all you need to do is click that name.

The following list contains links to all of our other French Destinations & Information Pages, click any link to go to that page.