Castle of Vayres

The castle of Vayres sits on a rocky hill where the Dordogne and Gestas rivers meet, surrounded by formal gardens and old trees. The structure combines stone and brick construction with several towers and contains multiple rooms with preserved interior furnishings.

The fortress gained military importance in 1326 when King Edward II of England funded its expansion during the Hundred Years War. The building was enlarged and modified over several centuries, with residential features added later on.

Inside, you find furniture and tapestries from the 1600s made by famous French workshops. These collections show how wealthy families of that era decorated and furnished their homes.

Visitors can join guided tours with written guides available in various languages to explore the architecture and collections. It helps to wear comfortable shoes since the grounds have slight slopes and multiple stairs to climb.

A medieval garden on the grounds shows how vegetables, medicinal plants, and grains were once grown, using traditional cultivation methods still practiced today. Visitors can see which plant varieties mattered back then and how gardeners organized their spaces.