Beynac-et-Cazenac was our base while in the Dordogne Region. Beynac is quite small, has a relaxing atmosphere, and is beautiful. While in Beynac, we spent most of our time day tripping to the nearby towns of Les Eyzies (to see the prehistoric caves) and Sarlat.
Beynac is another of France's well-preserved medieval cities. The stone village features steep streets that still boast their Languedoc (old French) names.
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| Beynac |
The highlight of Beynac is the castle. Château de Beynac is a wonderfully-preserved castle constructed in the Middle Ages on top of a limestone cliff on the edge of the Dordogne River. Built in the 1100s by the barons of Beynac, the location of the castle provided excellent defense opportunities.
While in Beynac, we decided to take a ride on one of the barges, locally called gabarres.
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| Gabarres on the River |
From the gabarre, we were able to see Beynac from a different vantage point. I took photograph after photograph of the castle perched dramatically on the side of the cliff and the aged buildings of the town.
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| View of Beynac from the gabarre |
Not only did we see Beynac Castle, we were able to see three other castles from the boat: Marqueyssac, Fayrac, and Castelnaud. Over a thousand castles like these were built in this region during the Hundred Years' War alone.
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| Marqueyssac |
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| Fayrac |
Beynac actually reminded me of Cinque Terre in Italy. The village is small and set directly on the water in a way that took me back to my memories of Manarola and Vernazza in Cinque Terre. I would recommend a stop in Beynac to anyone wanting to visit France.
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