Beynac, France
Château Castelnaud is Château de Beynac's crumbling rival and looks a little less mighty, but the inside packs a medieval punch.
The feudal village of Beynac (bay-nak) tumbles down a steep hill from its massive castle to the river far below and sees fewer tourists than its big brother, Sarlat. You'll have the Dordogne River at your doorstep, and a perfectly preserved medieval village winding like a sepia film set from the place where you beach your canoe to the hill-capping castle above. Some of the film Chocolat was filmed here, adding to its popularity with tourists.
The cliff-clinging castle, Château de Beynac, soars like a trapeze artist 500 feet straight up above the Dordogne River. During the Hundred Years' War, Beynac-et-Cazenac housed the French, while the British headquarters were across the river at Château Castelnaud. From the exterior condition of the castles, it appears that France won. But the sparsely furnished castle at Beynac is most interesting for the valley views, while Castlenaud's carefully prepared museum has many stories to tell. Several rooms display weaponry and artifacts from the Hundred Years' War, and others have videos, interactive computers (in English), and castle models. Some are slice-and-dice-of-life rooms, like the kitchen. It's all designed to teach you about battles and daily castle life. The floodlit village is always open for evening strollers. The Beynac tourist office, post office, and grocery shop cluster around the village riverside parking lot. Beynac's scenic cafés are on the river below the tourist office and high above, near the castle entry.
For up-to-date specifics, see the latest edition of the Rick Steves' France travel guide. We also offer free-spirited France tours