France
High above a bend in the Dordogne River, where the water runs slow and green through a valley of walnut groves and limestone cliffs, the Chateau de Beynac clings to a sheer rock face like a stone eagle surveying its domain. This 12th-century fortress — one of the five baronies of Perigord and a strategic prize fought over by English and French kings for three hundred years during the Hundred Years' War — commands such a dominant position that Richard the Lionheart himself laid siege to it in 1189. The village of Beynac-et-Cazenac, classified among the Plus Beaux Villages de France, cascades down the cliff beneath the castle in a tumble of golden stone houses, steep lanes, and flower-draped terraces that have barely changed since the medieval era.
The Chateau de Beynac is among the best-preserved medieval fortresses in France. Its keep, dating to the 12th century, offers rooms of austere military grandeur — massive stone fireplaces, arrow-slit windows, and a salle des Etats where the four barons of Perigord once gathered to administer feudal justice. The panoramic terrace at the summit provides one of the most celebrated views in southwestern France: the Dordogne River winds below through a patchwork of fields and forests, with the rival fortress of Castelnaud — held by the English during the Hundred Years' War — glowering from the opposite bank. The visual dialogue between these two castles, facing each other across the river like chess opponents, encapsulates centuries of Anglo-French conflict in a single glance.
The Perigord Noir — the "Black Perigord," named for its dense oak forests — is one of France's supreme gastronomic regions, and the cuisine of Beynac reflects this heritage with unapologetic richness. Foie gras, produced from ducks fattened on corn in the surrounding farms, is served mi-cuit with fig confiture, or seared and placed atop a salade perigourdine of walnuts, duck confit, and mesclun. Truffles — the black diamonds of Perigord — perfume everything from omelettes to pasta during the winter harvest season. Walnut oil, pressed from the trees that shade the riverbanks, dresses salads with a nutty intensity that supermarket oils cannot approach. The local wines of Bergerac, particularly the sweet whites of Monbazillac, provide the perfect accompaniment to the region's indulgent cuisine.
River excursions from Beynac are among the most enchanting activities in the Dordogne. Traditional gabarre boats — flat-bottomed vessels that once transported barrels of wine and timber downstream — now carry passengers on gentle cruises past the castles of Castelnaud, Marqueyssac, and Fayrac, each visible from the water in a procession of medieval silhouettes. The prehistoric shelters of Les Eyzies, where Cro-Magnon remains were first discovered, lie upstream, while the perfectly preserved bastide town of Domme — a 13th-century fortified hilltop settlement — overlooks the valley from the southern bank.
Beynac-et-Cazenac is visited by Tauck on Dordogne river and land itineraries. The most beautiful visiting season runs from May through October, with September and October offering the added pleasure of the walnut harvest, the first truffle markets, and the Dordogne valley draped in the amber and copper tones of autumn — a landscape that seems to have been composed specifically for the pleasure of painters.