Category: history

L’un des plus vieux rêves de l’homme : s’élever et voler librement dans les airs, comme un oiseau.

Riding in a hot air balloon over the monumental Château de Beynac, perched above one of the Most Beautiful Villages of France, is a unique opportunity to embark upon a voyage through medieval times from above.
This 12th-century castle is one of the best-preserved and most famous in the Périgord. Standing 150 meters above the Dordogne River on a limestone cliff, it was a French stronghold during the Hundred Years’ War. The Château de Castelnaud was captured by the English, and so at the time the Dordogne represented the border between France and England. For more…

Nestled against the cliffside with picturesque houses sweeping along one bank of the Dordogne, La Roque-Gageac, a medieval village and former port of the “Rivière Espérance”, is another of the officially listed Most Beautiful Villages of France. From one of our balloons, you will easily be able to admire the architecture of these golden stone buildings and their thackstone roofs. La Roque-Gageac, which clings to the rock and is reflected in the water, appears more charmingly sublime when seen from above. For more information about our hot air balloons and to reserve a hot air…

Perched on the hillside on a rocky outcropping at the confluence of the Dordogne and the Céou, the Château de Castelnaud-La-Chapelle, built in the 12th century, overlooks the little village curled at its base. The fortress proudly stands facing its counterpart, the Château de Beynac, which was its rival in medieval times when the Dordogne River symbolised the border between the two enemy kingdoms. On the French side, the Château de Beynac faced off with the Château de Castelnaud… The scene takes on its full sense when seen from the sky! For more information about…

The Château de Marqueyssac was built by the Lord of Beynac in the 13th century as an advance post, to supervise his Castelnaud-based rival. Today, the site is especially recognised for its historic park, stretching across 22 ha / 54 acres filled with 150,000 carefully hand-trimmed, centuries-old boxwood trees. It is always an enchantment to float over this landscape, offering colours that change according to the time or season: bathed in mist in the morning or autumn, flamboyant at harvest time, opulent in the summer, tender in the spring… For more information about our hot…

The golden stones of this medieval bastide were laid in the 13th century along a dizzying cliff overlooking the meanders of the Dordogne at some 210 m / 689 ft of altitude. Drifting above Domme offers an exceptional view of this unique architectural legacy as well as a panoramic view of the Dordogne Valley. For more information about our hot air balloons and to reserve a hot air balloon ride over the Dordogne Valley and its castles: > Consult our Flights and Fares > Consult our Practical information > Call us: +33 (0)6 71 14…

From above, this 13th-century abode, probably built by the vassal of Castelnaud to keep watch over Beynac, appears to have been deposited like a jewel in its lush surroundings. The Château de Fayrac is private and closed to the public. Floating over it therefore offers an exclusive view of this massive medieval building, which can only be taken in as a whole from the sky. For more information about our hot air balloons and to reserve a hot air balloon ride over the Dordogne Valley and its castles: > Consult our Flights and Fares >…

In the shadow of Château de Beynac, across from Les Milandes, the Château de Monrecour and Manoir de Panassou were built in the late 15th century by the Lords of Beynac to provide them with a more comfortable setting than the austere military fortress of Beynac. Flying above these historic residences, which often take on an enchanted appearance in the morning mist, is always an opportunity for memorable photos. For more information about our hot air balloons and to reserve a hot air balloon ride over the Dordogne Valley and its castles: > Consult our…

Sarlat, which began being built in the 9th century, today constitutes one of the most incredible group of medieval buildings in all of Europe. The town holds the record for the highest density in historical buildings officially listed or registered in the national inventory, with 66 protected monuments and buildings within a perimeter of 11 ha / 27 acres, and therefore has its place in the book of world records. Flying in a hot air balloon over this medieval town, the capital of the Périgord noir, offers an unobstructed 360° view over the thackstone roofs…

Overlooking the Dordogne from its cliff top, the 9th-century Château de Monfort towers above the hamlet below. Since this is a private property that may not be toured, a flight over its ramparts offers an exclusive view of this superb landscape: the fairytale castle is revealed on its rocky foundation overlooking the river, the Cingle de Montfort, and various small, richly wooded valleys. For more information about our hot air balloons and to reserve a hot air balloon ride over the Dordogne Valley and its castles: > Consult our Flights and Fares > Consult our…