From a simple feudal house to a fortress that became a dungeon, from a purely Renaissance transformation to the creation of a French garden, the successive owners have left their mark. This castle is a perfect illustration of the historical remodeling and architectural advances throughout history. It’s all beautiful, but the peaks will have you over the moon…quite literally.10 minutes from the TiL estate, in the Green Périgord in the north-east of the Dordogne, the Château de Jumilhac is a private property open to visitors. In summary, Southwest France has peaks and a valley. There’s also a magnificent river view of the Dordogne making a hard left turn to neighboring Vitrac. This is a classic Bastide town. That means it was built behind a wall on a hilltop to discourage invaders. What a waste of time. The first invaders took one look at Domme and said: “No way I’m climbing that.” In addition to altitude, Domme has one other claim: the most beautiful view in the world. You can see miles of geometrically cultivated farmland from its Belvedere. It will take your mind off the fact you’re basically descending the face of the Chrysler Building. Take the sharp vertical drop from the hilltop lookout past picturesque shops. The second: no two Frenchmen pronounce Limeuil the same way. Two natural phenomena define this gorgeous hilltop village. The first: The Dordogne and Vézère rivers converge here under two lovely arched bridges. During the other 59 minutes, there was hell to pay. Scared the heck out of the enemy but took 60 minutes to load. There’s an impressive trebuchet, a catapult-like weapon that flung 400-pound boulders 40 meters. Quaint cottages tumble down – figuratively speaking – the hillside below Castelnaud. You can see the moon, too, though it’s not quite as high. You can see it from all over the Dordogne Valley. This restored castle is illuminated at night. And they said there were no jokes coming out of the Hundred Years War. There’s a road going up to a parking lot near the castle entrance. What they don’t tell you is that you don’t need to walk up the steep path. You can reach the castle by climbing a twisting, cobblestone path flanked by dreamy stone cottages. To understand which country – France or Britain – controlled which castle, read a book. Both fortresses were focal points of the Hundred Years War. Beynac (uncomfortably high)īeynac is overshadowed by its castle rising hundreds of feet above the Dordogne. It’s within eyesight of its adversary, Castelnaud, just minutes up the river. Today you can scale 174 stairs to the fort. Villagers retreated to the fort to escape Vikings with world domination issues. From the cavern-like fort etched out of a cliff face, it’s a nosebleed. From the river, it’s a picture in a storybook. It begins on the banks of the Dordogne then goes straight up. The village of Roque Gageac dates to the 12th century when troglodytes lived in caves. Their names are followed by their rating on our highly scientific high-o-meter. Here’s a list of top (pun intended) towns at altitude in the Dordogne, each more beautiful than the last. Breath-taking in every sense of the word. What’s left are hamlets listed among the most beautiful in France. Villagers were still terrorized through the Middle Ages. Far enough up and the pillagers would look for alternatives the rationale went.įortunately for us, the strategy worked… sort of. Marauders and invading armies convinced villagers to build above the fray. Historians say hilltop towns reflect the Dordogne’s brutish history.

At our house in California, heaven is a flat lot for the swimming pool. People like to be on top of things in Southwest France – or more precisely, on top of the world. Downtown is nestled at the foot of a sheer cliff hundreds of feet straight up. We’re halfway up a steep hill above the glistening Dordogne River AKA the suburbs of this 13th-century town of 400 people. We moved into our part-time home last month in France’s Dordogne Valley. Aim for the top and have a sense of humour when it comes to castles in Dordogne says Mike Zampa…

Dordogne france castle