Badefols d'Ans travel guide

Visit Badefols d'Ans (Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France)

Badefols d'Ans is a small village in the Dordogne countryside, in the east of the department between Terrasson and Hautefort.

Explore Badefols d'Ans

France This Way review: although it is a small village that does not take long to explore, Badefols d'Ans is a pretty village with a church and castle as backdrop and worth a visit when you are nearby

In the centre of the village, the church of Saint-Vincent and Saint-Cloud is the principal historic monument in Badefols d'Ans. Inside the church you can see a 17th century tabernacle and several fragments of paintings on the walls and ceiling.

It is quite a small church with a square tower in the centre, that has parts of the structure from various periods: the nave is from the 12th century, the side aisles were added in the 15th century, the chapels are a 16th century addition and the square belltower was added in the 18th century.

Another notable sight in the village is the washhouse, which has been here for several hundred years (although the current washhouse building is much more recent).

There is also a castle in the village but this is rather hidden behind walls and closed to the public, although you can see the imposing castle towers from various places and these dominate the view of Badefols d'Ans.

The original castle was built here in the 13th century - a villa had stood in the same location in Roman times - although most of the current castle dates from the 15th century, when it was substantially extended and windows were added to the existing structure.

The castle does have an interesting and sad story in the 20th century: it was substantially destroyed by the Nazis during the Second World War because of help that the owner was giving to the local resistance movement. The owner, Count Jehan de Lestrade de Conty, and his son were deported to a concentration camp where they both died.

The castle was restored after the war and returned to the same family, who still own the castle today.

After exploring the centre of Badefols d'Ans you can walk up the hill to a belvedere with views across the village as well as the countryside of the Dordogne countryside and extending to the Corrèze department, a short distance to the east of the village. The belvedere marking the summit is a rather brutal concrete structure but the views are impressive!

Attractions nearby

The principal attraction close to Badefols d'Ans is the Chateau de Hautefort, one of the most imposing castles in the Dordogne . The small town of Terrasson is also quite close to here and is a pleasant town with the Gardens of the Imagination to visit.

You can find more travel ideas in the Dordogne guide and the Aquitaine guide.