Guédelon, our favourite local attraction, is about to reopen for the season!

We are based in beautiful Burgundy, where we are surrounded by outstandingly lovely historic buildings, but one of our favourite buildings is actually very new…

The Guédelon project, to build a medieval castle, is just an hour from the France Motorhome Hire depot

…The fascinating Guédelon Castle Project

The project was conceived in the mid-nineties when a team of historians resolved to build a 13th century style castle from scratch using only the materials, methods and equipment that would have been available at the time.

If you have ever stood in a medieval building wondering how it could possibly have been built back then, visit Guédelon to see the increasingly impressive castle emerging, with 50 tradesmen and women toiling daily to create it, exactly as they would have done seven hundred years ago.

You will see where the materials came from, how they were transported, the tools that were used, how the heavy loads were hoisted, and what techniques were used to make everything from roof tiles to bread for the workers.

Skilled craftsmen and volunteers dress in traditional costume

The skilled craftsmen and volunteers dress in traditional costume, so it really is like stepping back hundreds of years, and they are happy to chat to you and explain their methods as they work.

Nearby Chateau de Ratilly is a good example of the style of 13th C castle on which Guédelon is based

The 25-year long Guédelon project is a world-renowned, constantly-evolving study of how to build a medieval castle. As a visitor attraction it has flourished and is both inspiring and educational for people of any age.

Guédelon is just an hour from our depot and well worth a visit, so do set aside a day of your campervan trip to see it. This year, it is open from 19th March to 4th November. You can see opening hours, prices, hands-on course information and more fascinating facts on the Guédelon website here.