Romanesque keep
Sheer walls.
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The Château de Beynac is a castle in the village of Beynac-et-Cazenac in the Dordogne department of southwest France, about 8 km southwest of Sarlat in a straight line. It is one of the best-preserved and best-known castles in the region. The barons of Beynac, one of the four baronies of Périgord, built it in the 12th century to close the valley. As the sheer cliff was enough to deter any attack from that side, the defences were built on the plateau: double crenellated walls and double moats. The oldest part is a huge square Romanesque keep with vertical walls and few openings, and a narrow spiral staircase leading to a crenellated terrace. The castle's austere golden stone stands on top of a towering limestone cliff, dominating the village and the north bank of the Dordogne. The village's stone houses with brown roofs step down below the cliff to the river, all mirrored in the water. Visitors climb a steep stone path from the village to the castle, tour its halls and go up to the terrace for a wide view over the Dordogne valley and the castles opposite. Some ride the traditional wooden boats on the river beneath the castle.
Sheer walls.
Wide views.
On the river.
Beynac-et-Cazenac, Dordogne, France
Yes, from Sarlat.
The path is steep but short.