Chateau de Castelnaud found in the Dordogne Valley. We parked up on the southern bank of river Dordogne in the village of Castelnaud-la-Chapelle (great spot for a picnic and a snooze in the sun) with the castle Castelnaud perched above on a rocky spur, overlooking the valley floor.
You have 3 options to get to the ticket office of the castle :
1/ A fee paying car park which is found behind the castle (this gets you out of the walk up from the village).
2/ Walking up from the village situated on the valley floor using footpath 01 - bits of the walk are steep and will get the blood pumping (this foot path is not open to prams) and takes about 15 mins.
3/ Walking up from the village situated on the valley floor using footpath 02 - this is the middle option as the path swings through the village climbing at a slower rate before reaching the ticket office.
The first impressions when you make your way up the stone steps into the Artillery tower situated outside the curtain wall are the imposing ochre coloured ramparts .. Next the steep winding staircase (yes there is more climbing to come - but always remember: what goes up must come down) connecting to the kitchen before more steps and the first floor and the starting point of the collection of medieval weapons spread through the castle's walls.
↑ View west of the valley floor and the bridge crossing the river.
A powerful "siege crossbow" designed to defend the castle aiming at "Les Jardins de Marqueyssac" on the otherside of the valley and the panoramic views over the valley from the observation zones are a great location to photograph the valley below.
written : 2017 / latest update : 2021
