Across the river from Beynac-et-Cazenac was its rival, Castelnaud: these were Medieval fortresses, of Hundred Years' War vintage, Castelnaud favoring the Plantagenets, Beynac the French. The river was dotted with these structures, glowering at and occasionally battling each other. Thus, the chateaux of the Dordogne are a very different thing, and vintage, from chateaux of the Loire, the more elegant, famous, and younger affairs. We drove most of the way up the hill to Castelnaud, then walked to the foot of the castle, snapped some pix, and proceeded on.
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| Approaching Castelnaud, en pied |
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In addition to the dress-up shoppes, there are weaponry shoppes
and a full-scale museum of Medieval warfare |
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| No English long-bows... |
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| Street scene |
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| It's all privately owned... |
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| At the foot of the castle |
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| Valley view |
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It's that time of year when no kids are in the classrooms--
they're all on field trips...and this is what is left behind
before the final summit assault at Castelnaud |
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Seemed out of place near the fortress, but a nice
sign anyway |
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Appropriate dining furniture for a Medieval
warfare restaurant |
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| Parthian shot |
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| The contested river |
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| Now a scenic and recreation area |
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