Château de Gourdon, Medieval castle in Gourdon, France.
Château de Gourdon is a medieval castle in the hills of Provence, sitting on a rocky outcrop above the Loup Valley, with three round towers and reinforced northern walls. The village of Gourdon clusters right against the same rock, so the castle and the settlement appear as a single mass of stone.
The first fortification on this site was built in the 9th century, when Saracen groups controlled stretches of the Provencal coast and placed watchtowers in the hills. The Counts of Provence expanded the structure greatly in the 12th century, turning it into a more permanent stronghold.
The castle holds a collection of period furniture and weapons that show how it served as both a military post and a noble home over the centuries. Walking through the rooms gives a concrete sense of daily life behind these walls.
The castle is not currently open to visitors and can only be seen from the outside. It is worth checking local information before you go, as access conditions may change.
Four large stone arches support a terraced garden that looks out toward the Côte d'Azur on clear days. This garden was laid out in the 17th century by André Le Nôtre, the same designer who created the gardens at Versailles.
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