Visit to Belcastel
Hello! It's Annie, one of the English students working at Le Caussanel reception this summer, here to tell you about my day out in Belcastel.
As part of our mission to visit every tourist site in the 'Club des Sites' and to get me better acquainted with the region, Judith took me to see Belcastel, another one of the most beautiful villages in France to be found in Aveyron.
Belcastel is about an hour and a quarter from the campsite. The last part of the route is a winding country lane which eventually leads up a steep hill to the car park. We decided to start with the 1000 year-old castle which stands on a hill above the village. Its ruins were discovered in the 1970s by French archtiect Fernand Pouillon who dedicated himself to restoring it before making it his own home. It's easy to understand why he was so enchanted by it.
At reception we were welcomed and we paid a ticket for our visit (€7.50 per adult, €4 per child). I showed my university campus card to get the reduced student price (€6) and the lady at the reception desk said her husband had been at my university so she knew it well - small world! We were given an information guide - available in various languages including English, French, Dutch and German - to take with us through the castle, following the numbers displayed at certain points and reading the corresponding information.
We entered the castle by the drawbridge over the moat and found ourselves in a peaceful courtyard. One of the first things to see was a tiny chapel where religious music was playing softly. Similar music was playing in other parts of the castle too that really helped to set the ambiance and made me wonder what it had been like in the Middle Ages, who had lived here and what their lives were like.
I found the tour through the old fortress very interesting. Some rooms had old furniture, treasure chests with secret locks, and displays of armour. In others, including in the old prison, there were exhibitions displaying the works of different artists. There was one artist in particular that I liked: Nicoletta Ceccoli. Her paintings reminded me of fairytales and Alice in Wonderland, but with a sinister undertone.
After the artwork we found a little terrace overlooking the village and the river.
The castle is now a private residence. Could you imagine living here and looking at this view everyday?
After we finished exploring the castle, which took about an hour, we drove down into the village to have a wander round. It's situated on a river that is crossed by a lovely old bridge and has weeping willow trees hanging over the water. There are a couple of restaurants and souvenir shops and a picnic area by the river. The houses are extremely picturesque. It's at this point that I should advise you to wear flat shoes during your visit. It seems obvious but Judith was wearing heels and had some difficulty on the cobbled pathways of the village and the uneven rocky floor in two of the castle rooms that were left unrestored. But despite the unfortunate footwear choice we managed to stroll up into the village a little way to admire the old buildings and the gorgeous view.
As part of our mission to visit every tourist site in the 'Club des Sites' and to get me better acquainted with the region, Judith took me to see Belcastel, another one of the most beautiful villages in France to be found in Aveyron.
Belcastel is about an hour and a quarter from the campsite. The last part of the route is a winding country lane which eventually leads up a steep hill to the car park. We decided to start with the 1000 year-old castle which stands on a hill above the village. Its ruins were discovered in the 1970s by French archtiect Fernand Pouillon who dedicated himself to restoring it before making it his own home. It's easy to understand why he was so enchanted by it.
At reception we were welcomed and we paid a ticket for our visit (€7.50 per adult, €4 per child). I showed my university campus card to get the reduced student price (€6) and the lady at the reception desk said her husband had been at my university so she knew it well - small world! We were given an information guide - available in various languages including English, French, Dutch and German - to take with us through the castle, following the numbers displayed at certain points and reading the corresponding information.
We entered the castle by the drawbridge over the moat and found ourselves in a peaceful courtyard. One of the first things to see was a tiny chapel where religious music was playing softly. Similar music was playing in other parts of the castle too that really helped to set the ambiance and made me wonder what it had been like in the Middle Ages, who had lived here and what their lives were like.
I found the tour through the old fortress very interesting. Some rooms had old furniture, treasure chests with secret locks, and displays of armour. In others, including in the old prison, there were exhibitions displaying the works of different artists. There was one artist in particular that I liked: Nicoletta Ceccoli. Her paintings reminded me of fairytales and Alice in Wonderland, but with a sinister undertone.
After the artwork we found a little terrace overlooking the village and the river.
The castle is now a private residence. Could you imagine living here and looking at this view everyday?
After we finished exploring the castle, which took about an hour, we drove down into the village to have a wander round. It's situated on a river that is crossed by a lovely old bridge and has weeping willow trees hanging over the water. There are a couple of restaurants and souvenir shops and a picnic area by the river. The houses are extremely picturesque. It's at this point that I should advise you to wear flat shoes during your visit. It seems obvious but Judith was wearing heels and had some difficulty on the cobbled pathways of the village and the uneven rocky floor in two of the castle rooms that were left unrestored. But despite the unfortunate footwear choice we managed to stroll up into the village a little way to admire the old buildings and the gorgeous view.
Commentaires
Enregistrer un commentaire