Château de Biron

The Dordogne


Eight kilometres south of Monpazier, this much-filmed château is a glorious mishmash of styles, having been fiddled with by eight centuries of successive heirs. The castle was finally sold in the early 1900s to pay for the extravagant lifestyle of a particularly irresponsible son. It’s notable for its slate turrets and double loggia staircase, supposedly modelled on one at Versailles.


Lonely Planet's must-see attractions

Nearby The Dordogne attractions

1. Place des Cornières

3.49 MILES

From the town’s three gateways, Monpazier’s flat, grid-straight streets lead to the arcaded market square (also known as place Centrale), surrounded by an…

2. Bastideum

3.49 MILES

This small interpretative centre is a good stop for history buffs interested in reading up on bastides, or, for a bit more family fun, playing one of the…

3. Château de Bonaguil

9.56 MILES

About 15km west of Puy l’Évêque, near St-Martin-Le-Redon, the imposing feudal Château de Bonaguil is a fine example of late-15th-century military…

4. Cloître de Cadouin

12.38 MILES

This Unesco-listed 12th-century Cistercian abbey and its Gothic cloister hide in the forest just south of the Dordogne, along the River Bélingou.

5. Grottes de Maxange

14.23 MILES

Discovered in 2000 in a stone quarry, this cave system is packed with stalagtites and mineral deposits.

6. Château de Lanquais

16.17 MILES

This château, with portions dating from as early as the 12th century, though much of it is in the later Italian Renaissance style, is fully kitted out…

7. Château des Milandes

17.73 MILES

This 15th-century château, 3km southwest of Beynac, is famous for its fabulous former owner: glamorous dancer, singer and music-hall star Josephine Baker …

8. Château de Castelnaud

18.6 MILES

The massive ramparts and metre-thick crenellated walls of this quintessential medieval fortress (occupied by the English during the Hundred Years War)…