Visit the castle of Hautefort : tickets, prices, times

Do you spend a few days in the Périgord? Don’t miss visiting the castle of Hautefort, one of the most beautiful and best preserved in the region.

If you want to discover a place dear to the heart of Périgourdins, you must visit the castle of Hautefort. Built in the 16th century in place of a strong castle, it was defended by the inhabitants of the city during the Revolution. After undergoing several renovations, it has now become a castle with a rich decoration. The little plus? The area perfectly maintained in an eco-friendly approach. Want to know more? Here is all the information to visit the castle of Hautefort during your stay.

History of the castle of Hautefort

Inaugurated in the Roman era, the place which today houses the castle of Hautefort first gave birth to a fortified castle. The latter is then replaced by a pleasure house erected by the marquis de Hautefort . Built in the 16th century, this house has since passed through time to today.

At the beginning of the 20th century, the castle of Hautefort is in poor condition. It was then bought in 1929 by the Baron and the Baroness of Bastard to be restored. After the Baron's death in 1957, the Baroness continued the restoration project. Unfortunately, while the work has only been completed for a few years, the castle suffered a devastating fire in 1968. Faced with this situation, the Baroness of Bastard launched a second restoration campaign before opening the castle doors to the public in 1977.

Driven by the Baroness of Bastard, the Fondation du château de Hautefort sees the day in its turn. It is this same foundation that manages the house today. Died in 1999, the Baroness of Bastard has carried the project of the castle to the end of his arms, until his last breath.

Currently, some inaccessible parts are still being restored.

Our tips to visit the castle of Hautefort

• If you have children, educational booklets can be offered at an additional cost.
• The visit of the castle rooms is free and there is no fleach. Start with the audiovisual room that offers you a documentary about the history of the domain. Then it will be easier for you to integrate the information available on displays in the rooms.
• If you have any questions, do not hesitate to ask the staff.
• Dogs are allowed in gardens and park. Only blind dogs are allowed in the castle.
• If you want to picnic, different areas are equipped around the domain.
• Need to stay connected? The summer lounge, which offers a catering service, is equipped with free Wi-Fi.

What to do during your visit to the castle of Hautefort?

Different spaces

When you visit the castle of Hautefort, you can discover the following areas:

• The castle;
• The French gardenwith his sculptures in buis;
• The landscape parkmanaged in an ecological approach;
• The vegetable garden, with its plants of ancient vegetables;

To fully enjoy all these spaces, you can opt for the day tour. Thus, you will have access to the entire estate and rooms of the castle open to the public.

The experiences

To discover the castle from a new angle, several animations are offered.

• The night visit « Night at the Castle »: organized on Wednesday evenings in July and August, it is a guided tour theatricalized. After this, you can walk through the gardens.
• The interactive tour of a real cinema scenery: to immerse yourself in the filming of a historical film. The castle of Hautefort was the filming place of about fifteen films.
• Easter entertainment: go to the egg hunt in the estate of the castle of Hautefort.
• Halloween: the castle sets Halloween colours for a special day.
• Go to the garden: the garden chef guides you to discover the gardens, the size of the buis and the approach of the estate that earned him an ecolabel.
• Atelier du petit jardinier: here the children learn the cutting (from 3 years).
• Atelier du petit artiste: various artistic animations are offered to children for an hour.

How much does a ticket cost to the castle of Hautefort?

Tickets for the Château de Hautefort can be purchased online (for the basic entrance). In addition, they are valid throughout the 2020 season, on opening days.

Free visit to the castle and access to the gardens

• Adult (from 15 years old): 10 €.
• Adult (reduced rate for persons with disabilities or disability, job seekers, students under 25): 8 €.
• Child between 7 and 14 years: 5,50 €.
• Child under 7: free.

Events

Tickets for the Château de Hautefort regarding events are on sale only on site. These are the main rates:

• Night Tour : Adult 13 €, Child over 7 years 8 €.
• Exhibition cinema and visit of a scenery : 2 € extra.
• Go to the garden: Adult 8€, Child over 7 years 4,50 €.
• Outdoor cinema: 5€ per person.
• Atelier du petit jardinier: 3€ per child (from 3 years).
• Theatre (this is a coupled ticket with entrance for the castle and theatre place): Adult 16 €, Child over 7 years 10 €.

How to book an online ticket for the castle of Hautefort?

To book your tickets for the Château de Hautefort, you just have to go to the official website homepage and choose the tickets for your choice. In particular, several sites specializing in towers and activities offer unpublished experiences such as a balloon flight above the castle.

Are there guided tours of the castle of Hautefort?

During the day there is no individual guided tour. Only groups of more than 20 people can benefit from this by contacting the castle. Some guided tours are organized in high season, but they are not announced: do not hesitate to ask if there is one planned when you arrive at the castle.

However, exceptional night visits are offered in the summer. They take place every Wednesday of July and August for 45 minutes.

Are there visits combined with other monuments in the Périgord?

If you want to make different visits to the Périgord, you can opt for the pass « Visits to the Périgord » . To order it, you can do it simply on the website. You will receive a 20% discount.

Also, you can choose between a €60 card that you pay €48, or a €120 card that you pay €96. Once your payment is made (from 48 or 96 €), your card will be credited to 60 or 120€. It will be usable the next day in one of the 12 sites that are part of the pass. This card is usable for all members of your family.

Among the 12 sites concerned by the pass "Sights in the Périgord" are:

• Aquarium du Périgord Noir
• Bournat Park
• Castle of Castelnaud
• Caves of the Roc de Cazelle
• Château de Hautefort
• Gardens of Marqueyssac
• Gabares Norbert
• Gouffre de Proumeyssac
• Strong house of Reignac
• Roque Saint Christophe
• Cave of Villars
• Maxange's Caves

Opening hours

If you want to visit the castle of Hautefort, know that it opens between March and mid-November. Here are the opening times for 2020:

• March: weekends and holidays between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.
• April and MayEvery day, from 10 a.m. to 12.30 p.m. and from 2 to 6.30 p.m.
• June, July and AugustEvery day from 9.30 a.m. to 7 p.m.
• September: daily from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.
• October: every day from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.
• November: weekends and holidays between 2 p.m. and 6 p.m.

How to get to the castle of Hautefort?

You can go to the castle by car or by bus.

By car

This is certainly the most convenient way to go to Haitefort Castle. His address: Le Bourg — 24390 Hautefort. To achieve this, you just have to take it exit 17 on the A89 .

By bus

It is possible to go to the castle by bus — but it is not the most convenient. There are few trips, often at the end of the day. You will have to plan accommodation to visit the estate the next day. The castle is located about forty kilometers from Périgueux. You can connect Périgueux to Hautefort by borrowing the bus no. 9 . You'll have to count 1:30. A ticket costs 2 €.

Where to park near the castle of Hautefort?

To visit the castle of Hautefort, just park your car on one of the two parking spaces which are available to visitors for free. The garden parking is below the castle, it is intended for cars only. The parking lot of the castle is next to the ticket office: cars, buses and motorhomes can access it.

Where to stay near the castle of Hautefort?

The Dordogne is a tourist, so you can easily find accommodation near the castle. However, if you wish to stay in Hautefort even , there are few accommodations, both in air bnb and in hotels. Count between 50 and 100€ at night. Think about booking early enough.

If you can get away a little, the accommodation will be a little more varied, on a radius of about twenty kilometers. The budget can vary from 35 to more than 100€ per night.