Road trip through the castles of the Périgord
Road trip through the four baronies of the Périgord: Bourdeilles, Beynac, Castelnaud and Biron
From the banks of the Dronne to the Dordogne Valley, a route through the four former baronies of the Périgord, passing by the Château des Milandes, the refuge of Joséphine Baker.
Editorial journal · Carte des Châteaux ·
At the height of feudal power in the Périgord stood four powerful barons, equal in pride: those of Bourdeilles, Beynac, Biron and Mareuil. This itinerary links three of these four baronies, still standing and open to visitors, winding through the Dordogne Valley and its most famous medieval face-off, that of Beynac and Castelnaud.
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Four barons equal in pride
At the height of feudal rule in the former Périgord sat the counts, and beneath them four powerful barons: those of Beynac, Biron, Bourdeilles and Mareuil. According to local tradition, this number of four stemmed from a precise ceremonial custom: four were required to carry the throne of the Bishop of Périgueux during his entry into the city, each baron vying for the honour of the prime position. Founded in the 10th century, these four baronies endured the centuries, the Crusades and the Hundred Years' War, and three of them can be visited today.
DORDOGNE · Bourdeilles
Château de Bourdeilles
Le château de Bourdeilles domine la Dronne, en Périgord vert, entre Périgueux et Brantôme. Il réunit deux édifices : une forteresse médiévale du XIIIe siècle bâtie par Géraud de Maulmont, que domine un donjon octogonal de 35 mètres, le plus haut du Périgord, et un palais Renaissance inspiré des villas italiennes, commencé en 1588 par Jacquette de Montbron, formatrice de l'esprit italianisant de la cour de Catherine de Médicis. Mentionné dès 1183, repris aux Anglais par Du Guesclin en 1377, classé monument historique en 1919, il accueille environ 32 000 visiteurs par an et propose visites libres ou avec audioguide, ateliers, visites nocturnes, escape game en réalité virtuelle et grands rendez-vous estivaux (Médiévales, Théâtrales).
DORDOGNE · Beynac-et-Cazenac
Château de Beynac
Le château de Beynac, perché sur une falaise dominant la Dordogne, associe un donjon primitif du XIIe siècle à des aménagements successifs : cuisines du XIIIe siècle, salle des États du XIVe siècle où se réunissaient les quatre baronnies du Périgord, oratoire peint du XVe siècle, puis escalier Renaissance et salons d'apparat du XVIIe siècle. Gardé en son temps par Richard Cœur de Lion puis par le mercenaire Mercadier, il est aujourd'hui l'un des châteaux les mieux conservés et les plus emblématiques du Périgord noir, ouvert au public comme musée.
DORDOGNE · Biron
Château de Biron
Le château de Biron, en Périgord pourpre, fut pendant huit siècles le siège de la famille de Gontaut-Biron et l'une des quatre baronnies historiques du Périgord. Il associe un donjon du XIIe siècle à une chapelle Renaissance flamboyante édifiée par Pons de Gontaut à la charnière des XVe-XVIe siècles, témoin de l'influence des palais italiens. Vendu par la famille en 1938, il est aujourd'hui géré par le département de la Dordogne comme monument public, ouvert à la visite, et a servi de décor à plusieurs films dont Les Visiteurs 2 et Jacquou le Croquant.
The route on the map
Itinerary through the baronies of the Périgord
From Bourdeilles to Biron, via the Dordogne Valley.
Markers follow the suggested visiting order. Select a castle to open its page.
Day by day
The itinerary
Bourdeilles, the first of the baronies
The journey begins in the Green Périgord, on the banks of the Dronne. Bourdeilles is one of the four baronies founded in the 10th century. The site actually comprises two castles: a 13th-century medieval fortress built by Géraud de Maulmont on older foundations, featuring an octagonal keep over 30 metres high, and a 16th-century Renaissance palace designed by Jacquette de Montbron. The ensemble has been listed as a historic monument since 1919.
Beynac, French bastion overlooking the Dordogne
En route to the Black Périgord, head for Beynac-et-Cazenac. Perched on a cliff overlooking the Dordogne, the Château de Beynac remained loyal to the King of France throughout the Hundred Years' War, unlike its neighbour across the river, Castelnaud. Considered one of the best-preserved castles in the region, it is open to the public.
Castelnaud, the rival fortress
On the opposite bank, less than five kilometres away, the Château de Castelnaud faces it from its rocky spur. Built in the 12th century by the Cathar lord Bernard de Casnac, it was captured by Simon de Montfort in 1214 during the Albigensian Crusade, later passing into the hands of the Caumont family, who sided with the English, making it Beynac’s direct adversary during the Hundred Years' War. Finally retaken by the French in 1442, it now houses a museum of medieval warfare.
Les Milandes, Joséphine Baker’s refuge
Just a few minutes from Castelnaud, the Château des Milandes, whose origins date back to the 15th century, owes its fame to Joséphine Baker. The singer and resistance fighter rented it from 1937 before buying it in 1947. She moved in with her husband Jo Bouillon and their twelve adopted children from around the world, her 'Rainbow Tribe', a symbol of her commitment to universal brotherhood, before being forced to sell the estate in 1968.
Biron, one of the four baronies of the Périgord
The journey concludes in the Purple Périgord, at the Château de Biron. Founded in the 12th century, it was, like Beynac and Bourdeilles, the seat of one of the four oldest baronies of the Périgord, alongside Mareuil. The castle, which enjoys partial protection as a historic monument, is open to the public.