Visit to Dordogne

Bergerac - Castelnaud - Marqueyssac - La Roque Gageac - Domme - Sarlat - Beynac - Belves - Monpazier - Biron

Beynac is a stone village that piles up on he slope of a rocky hill and that ascends until the formidable castle on the top, 150m. high, built over the rock and dominating the entire valley of Dordogne.
It a village typical of postcards, all in stone that in the afternoon it receives the sun rays showing all its splendour.
The first inhabitants installed here during the Bronze Age (there are still rests on the edge of the river at the feet of the cliff), but it grew in importance during Middle Ages.

We walked up through the hard slope streets of the magnificent village (the top can be also reached by car), with houses dating from 15th to 17th centuries. After a while we arrived to the top of the cliff and the stronghold, called Beynac-et-Cazenac. Nearby there is a 12th century church (restored in 16th century).
Close to the castle there is a group of old houses alike the lower village.

The castle (constructed in 1115) was besieged in 1184 by the mythic Richard Lionhearted before becoming king. Richard lived here at the returning towards England from the third Crusade, and after being jailed in Austria . This castle seems to defy the castle of Castelnaud , and in fact the lords of both castles had a strong enmity from the 13th century until the beginning of the One Hundred Years war. During the war the castle was very important because of its strategic position as border stronghold.
By the treaty of Bretigny (1360) the village became English but 8 years later they entered the French side and they never were conquered.

You can imagine the guards of the two powerful castles watching and spying from the distance, keeping an eye on the valley that formed the border of the war.
A double wall and two moats surround the castle . The visit is not spectacular (there are some rooms but fewer objects or furniture) except fir the panorama over the valley, but you can see this landscape without entering the castle. The castle of the Milandes can be distinguished from here as well.

Afterwards we descended. In the main street tat ends at he road, there are several restaurants with terraces. Here we enjoyed a fantastic meal, because we tasted the food that makes famous the region: foie-gras, duck, red wine and even an expensive truffle omelette. My mouth water when writing this.
This charming village has been the scenery for the good movie "Chocolat".