Just a few hours from Paris and after a stroll through the forest, you’ll find one of the most picturesque castles in France. At the top of a rocky outcrop, ruins, gaping towers, and walls clinging to the cliff come into view. The Château de Commarque is nothing like a classic restored castle. Here, its appeal lies precisely in its raw, almost wild character.
An ancient 12th-century fortress
Located in the heart of the Périgord, between Sarlat and Les Eyzies, the site dates back to the 12th century. Originally, it was nothing more than a simple wooden tower built at the request of the abbots of Sarlat to watch over the valley and secure important trade routes crossing the region. Over the centuries, the site expanded until it became a true medieval castle, complete with a keep, a chapel, and dwellings clinging to the rock face.
The setting is all the more impressive because Commarque is more than just a castle. Surrounding the ruins are the remains of an ancient fortified village, now vanished. Some cave dwellings and ruins are still visible at the base of the cliffs, giving the place a rather unique atmosphere.
And the site’s history goes back even further. Beneath the castle lies a prehistoric cave adorned with engravings made some 15,000 years ago. The site thus brings together several overlapping eras—prehistory, the Middle Ages, and contemporary heritage—within a single landscape.
After enduring wars, successive occupations, and then abandonment, Commarque was gradually swallowed up by vegetation. It wasn’t until the 1960s that Hubert de Commarque, a descendant of the founding family, undertook the restoration of the site. Since then, extensive consolidation work has breathed new life into the site.
Today, the visit feels almost like an exploration: you climb up into the keep, pass through the old open-air halls, and gradually discover the views across the entire valley. From the heights, the panorama of the Périgord’s forests and cliffs is truly spectacular.
About 5 hours from Paris by train and car, Commarque fits perfectly into a broader getaway in the Dordogne, including Sarlat, Les Eyzies, or Beynac.
📍Château de Commarque – Route du Château de Commarque, 24620 Les Eyzies