Château de Castelnaud

Château de Castelnaud sits on a crag above the Dordogne, 8 kilometres west of Domme, and is one of the best-preserved medieval fortresses in France. The castle was a key stronghold throughout the Hundred Years War, switching between French and English control several times as fortunes shifted, and the existing structure largely dates from the 13th to 16th centuries. Today it houses the Museum of Medieval Warfare, with an exceptional collection of siege engines, weapons, and armour.

The reconstruction of medieval siege equipment on the castle's terraces is genuinely impressive — trebuchets, mangonels, and crossbows at a scale that makes it easy to understand both their power and their limitations. The views from the ramparts take in the entire valley with Beynac Castle visible directly opposite, exactly where it stood during the wars. The combination of history, architecture, and view makes this the best half-day excursion from Domme. Allow at least two hours.

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During the Hundred Years War, Castelnaud changed hands repeatedly between the French and English, and its owners sometimes switched sides mid-conflict depending on which army was paying better. The castle was the headquarters of the feared mercenary captain Almeric de Chauvigny in the 14th century, who used it as a base for raiding the surrounding countryside — including the English-held château of Beynac directly across the river.

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