Chateau de Bridoire visitor guide

Visit Chateau de Bridoire, France

The Chateau de Bridoire is a 12th century castle in Ribagnac near to Bergerac in the Dordogne which has recently been renovated and opened to the public.

As well as the rooms renovated and decorated as they would have been in previous centuries the castle has also installed hundreds of games ranging from giant chess to grass-skiing and archery making it an excellent destination for families.

Explore the Chateau de Bridoire

The Chateau de Bridoire dates from the 12th century and has had a chequered history which includes being owned by ten different families, a future king of France dining here and battles between Catholics and Protestants and between French and English having taken place here.

In the last century the house came to be owned by a Senegalese company. The doors were not securely locked and a guardian was not appointed to look after the building and over the next ten years cars pulled up and took away virtually everything from the castle. Eventually locals formed together into a society to protect the castle and various protections were put in place by the French government. These were fought bitterly by the Senegalese company and many years of disputes followed.

Eventually chateau de Bidoire was restored to the public and restoration began. Now almost fully restored the chateau is open to the public and the rooms are decorated in the furniture and styles of previous centuries. Rooms to be visited include the wonderful kitchen where, when I visited in October, there was a roaring fire and home made crepes and biscuits for sale!

Other rooms include salons and bedrooms, a chapel and a room containing a model of a horse and knight in armour.

The castle is interesting to visit in its own right but families will be interested to know that dozens of games are also on offer. These are games of days gone by (no mechanical or electronic games) and offer lots of fun for families visiting. Games include both outdoor and indoor games and games of agility, strength and skill.

The chateau is open every day from 9 April to the end of September and some weekends and school holidays outside of these times. There is a shop on site selling picnics and so if its a nice sunny day you can enjoy a picnic in the grounds.

in 2016 a new attraction has been added - "the Mysterious Valley" which is a three kilometre route by rivers, ruins, troglodyte shelters, a labyrinth and various suprises along the way!

Places to Visit Nearby

Wine lovers will enjoy a visit to the nearby Chateau de Monbazillac, an imposing chateau famous for its sweet white wine.

The pretty town of Bergerac has medieval streets as well as a lively shopping centre so be sure to take time to explore its pretty streets and riverside setting. The medieval bastide town of Eymet is a beautiful village in the area.

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