Secrets of a medieval castle
About an hour south of our depot at Guédelon, some incredible enthusiasts are halfway through a 25-year project to build a medieval castle using only the tools and materials available in the 13th century.
A few years ago on British TV, the series “Secrets of the Castle” featured Guédelon, exploring how you go about building a medieval castle from scratch.
Guédelon offers something for every kind of visitor, archaeologists, historians, teachers, students and families included. Halfway through the build, it really does look like a splendid castle. Everything on the site is made from materials sourced in the local landscape, from stone to oak. The 65 people working on the build are based in the grounds of the castle. As well as building, they put on lots of really interesting workshops demonstrating the trades from stone cutters to carpenters, all done with tools and methods from the 13th century.
Guédelon is open every year from mid March to early November. Free overnight parking for motorhomes and campervans is available nearby at Treigny (5km from Guédelon) and Saint Fargeau (12km from Guédelon). Saint Fargeau also boasts a magnificent, 1,000-year-old chateau of its own, right in the heart of the village so is also well worth a visit (check opening times here).
When it comes to exploring Burgundy, this really is just the very tip of the iceberg in terms of wonderful things to do and see, so book a motorhome trip now and come and find out what else Burgundy has to offer.