Activities
Free for children under 10
Don’t forget to ask for the game booklet!
New in 2023
A Haute Couture Middle Ages!
> The Hundred Years War, a Century of Fashion exhibition takes place in the museum.
Twelve state-of-the-art and completely reconstructed seigneurial outfits illustrate the evolution of the shimmering attire of the aristocratic fashion of the time. A great opportunity to break through the dark and dirty image we have of this period! These hand-sewn costumes by Jimmy Lecordier are the result of meticulous research and over 2,000 hours of work.
©Barry’s photography – Modes d’autrefois
> On this occasion, the much awaited costume fitting animation of the youngest is broughtup to date! Children are invited to put on the fashionable cottes, headgear and outfits of the lords and ladies of the time of the castles.
©Barry’s photography – Modes d’autrefois
> À cette occasion, l’animation essayage de costumes tant attendue des plus jeunes est remise au goût du jour !
Les enfants sont invités à revêtir cottes, coiffes et pourpoints à la mode des seigneurs et dames du temps des châteaux forts.
In December
Night show
At nightfall, the castle becomes the setting for a privileged show. Go back to the thread of History, shaped by characters with incredible battles like Geoffroy de Vivans, captain of Castelnaud during the Wars of Religion.
In French, in July and August
Visit of the museum every first Sunday of each month
Take a closer look on a collection of ancient weapons and armor of nearly 300 pieces. One of the most important French private collections to be open to the public. A unique conference visite to discover its tresures.
In French, April to December
Castelnaud takes out the heavy artillery!
> 4 exceptional days of trebuchet and couillard firing! Here is the unique opportunity to see our full-size machines in action and shoot, from their position on the bastion, towards the castle! Place to our garnison straight out of the Hundred Years War to ensure the putting in battery of these machines!
From Saturday 28 to Tuesday 31 October
May 2023
Guided tour and trebuchet firing demonstration (1h)
Attack! Guided tour in french on the theme of attacking a fortified castle that end with a trebuchet firing demonstration (one-third scale model).
From Monday 8 May to Sunday 9 July
In week, at 11:15, 14:30 and 16:00
In weekend, at 11:00, 12:15, 14:30 and 16:00
Visit "Everyone at the museum" (1h)
Through the history of the castle’s restoration, the guide sheds light on the history of the most amazing pieces from the museum’s collection. In French
Sunday 7 May and Sunday 6 June
At 10:30
Face to face with a crowsbowman from th Hundred Years War (20 min)
A costumed character presents in French the offensive and defensive equipment of of a 15th century crossbowman and gave a shooting demonstration.
From Thursday 18 to Sunday 21 May and from Saturday 27 to Monday 29 May
At 11:30, 12:30, 14:00, 15:15, 16:15 and 17:15
Themed visit (30 min)
Held outdoors in french, led by a guide in Medieval costume. An opportunity to step into the history of Castelnaud and to explore everyday life towards the end of the Middle Ages.
• From the garden to the kitchen
From Thursday 18 to Sunday 21 May and from Saturday 27 to Monday 29 May
At 11:15 and 15:30
• Artisans builders of fortresses and siege engines
From Thursday 18 to Sunday 21 May and from Saturday 27 to Monday 29 May
At 14:00 and 17:00
PROGRAMME 2023
Winter holidays
Challenging misconceptions
From Sunday 5 February to Sunday 5 March
At 11:15, 14:30 and 16:00
🕚 45 min
Playmobil® exhibit 2022-2023
After the success of the first edition at Christmas 2021, the mythical Playmobil® are once again taking over the Château de Castelnaud!
Nearly a thousand pieces are needed to reconstruct miniature scenes of lives medieval daily life: construction of a fortified castle, tournament, craft fair, forge, village, vegetable garden...
Beginning of April
Guided tour and and trebuchet firing demonstration
At 11:15, 14:30 and 16:00
🕚 1h
Attack! Guided tour on the theme of attacking a fortified castle that end with a trebuchet demonstration (one-third scale model).
🔸Visit "Everyone at the museum"🔸
Sunday 2 April
In French at 10:30
🕚 1h
Take a closer look on a collection of ancient weapons and armor of nearly 300 pieces. One of the most important French private collections to be open to the public. A unique conference visit to discover its treasures.
Spring holidays
Introduction to crossbow shooting
Supervised by an animator, the children from the age of 5 try to shoot at the crossbow like true crossbowmen of the Middle Ages in defense of the castle.
Themed visit
From Sunday 9 April to Monday 8 May
🕚 30 min
Face to face with a crossbowman from the Hundred Years War
(except Fridays and Saturdays)
At 11:30, 12:30, 14:00, 15:15, 16:15 and 17:15
🕚 20 min
Blacksmith demonstration
From Sunday 9 April to Monday 8 May (except Saturdays)
From 10:00 to 13:00 and from 14:00 to 18:00
Guided tour and trebuchet firing demonstration
from Saturday 8 April to Monday 8 May
At 11:15, 14:30 and 16:00
🕚 1h
Attack! Guided tour in French on the theme of attacking a fortified castle that end with a trebuchet demonstration (one-third scale model).
May
🔸Visit "Everyone at the museum"🔸
Sunday 7 may
At 10:30
🕚 1h
Take a closer look on a collection of ancient weapons and armor of nearly 300 pieces. One of the most important French private collections to be open to the public. A unique conference visit to discover its treasures.
In French
Face to face with a crossbowman from the Hundred Years War
From Thursday 18 to Sunday 21 May,
and from Saturday 27 to Monday 29 May
At 11:30, 12:30, 14:00, 15:15, 16:15 and 17:15
🕚 20 min
A costumed character presents the offensive and defensive equipment of a crossbowman and did a demonstration shot.
Themed visit
From Thursday 18 to Sunday 21 May,
and from Saturday 27 to Monday 29 May
At 10:45, 14:00, 15:00 and 17:00
🕚 30 min
Held outdoors in french, led by a guide in Medieval costume. An opportunity to step into the history of Castelnaud and to explore everyday life towards the end of the Middle Ages.
Guided tour and trebuchet firing demonstration
In week from Monday 1 to Tuesday 31 May At 11:15, 14:30 and 16:00
🕚 1hAttack! Guided tour in French on the theme of attacking a fortified castle that end with a trebuchet demonstration (one-third scale model).
June
🔸Visit "Everyone at the museum"🔸
Sunday 4 June
At 10:30
🕚 1h
Take a closer look on a collection of ancient weapons and armor of nearly 300 pieces. One of the most important French private collections to be open to the public. A unique conference visit to discover its treasures.
In French
Guided tour and trebuchet firing demonstration
Until Sunday 9 July
In week, à 11:15, 14:30 and 16:00
In week-end, at 11:00, 12:15, 14:30 and 16:00
🕚 1h
Attack! Guided tour in French on the theme of attacking a fortified castle that end with a trebuchet demonstration (one-third scale model).
Summer holidays
Trebuchet firing demonstration
🔸Visit "Everyone at the museum"🔸
Sunday 2 July and Sunday 6 August
At 9:30
🕚 1h
Take a closer look on a collection of ancient weapons and armor of nearly 300 pieces. One of the most important French private collections to be open to the public. A unique conference visit to discover its treasures.
In French
Guided tour
From Saturday 8 July to Sunday 3 September
In French, upcoming schedules
In English, upcoming schedules
In Dutch, upcoming schedules
🕚 30 min
Medieval play
From Sunday 9 July to Friday 25 August (except Saturdays)
At 11:30, 12:30, 15:00, 16:00 and 17:00
🕚 30 mins
A medieval-inspired farce performed in french by two actors who draw the public into their eccentricities!
Themed visit
From saturday 8 July to Sunday 3 September
🕚 20 to 30 min
Held outdoors in french, led by a guide in Medieval costume. An opportunity to step into the history of Castelnaud and to explore everyday life towards the end of the Middle Ages.
Topics addressed:
- From the garden to the kitchen (30 mins)
Every day, at 10:30
- Hygiene and cleanliness in the time of the lords (20 mins)
Every day, at 11:30, 14:00, 15:30, 17:00 and 18:30
Blacksmith demonstration
From Monday 10 July to Friday 1 September (except Saturdays)
From 10:00 to 13:00 and from 14:00 to 18:30
Night show NEW
From Monday 10 July to Friday 25 August
(except weekend)
At 20:30 and 22:15
🕚 1h
At nightfall, the castle becomes the setting for a privileged show. Go back to the thread of History, shaped by chracters with incredible battles like Geoffroy de Vivans, captain of Castelnaud during the Wars of Religion.
Show in frenchLimited number of places - Reservations required
September
🔸Visit "Everyone at the museum"🔸
Sunday 3 September
At 10:30
🕚 1h
Take a closer look on a collection of ancient weapons and armor of nearly 300 pieces. One of the most important French private collections to be open to the public. A unique conference visit to discover its treasures.
In French
Guided tour and trebuchet firing demonstration
From Monday 4 to Saturday 30 September
(except 16 and 17 September)
In French, at 11:15, 14:30 and 16:00
In English, at 11:45 and 15:00
🕚 1h
Attack! Guided tour on the theme of attacking a fortified castle that end with a trebuchet firing demonstration (one-third scale model).
Heritage Days - 16 & 17 september
Visit "Artisans builders of fortresses and siege engines" and trebuchet firing demonstration
Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 September
At 11:00, 12:00, 14:00, 16:00 and 17:00
🕚 45 min
Discover the secrets and methods of building powerful castles and impressive war machines built to defeat them.
The tour ends with a trebuchet firing demonstration (one-third scale model).
In French
Face to face with a "pioneer-soldier" of the Hundred Years War
Saturday 16 and Sunday 17 September
At 11:30, 12:30, 14:00, 15:15, 16:15 and 17:15
🕚 20 min
October
🔸Visit "Everyone at the museum"🔸
Sunday 1st October
At 10:30
🕚 1h
Take a closer look on a collection of ancient weapons and armor of nearly 300 pieces. One of the most important French private collections to be open to the public. A unique conference visit to discover its treasures.
In French
Guided tour and and trebuchet firing demonstration
Attack! Guided tour in French on the theme of attacking a fortified castle that end with a trebuchet demonstration (one-third scale model).
Autumn holidays
Trying on medieval costumes
From Saturday 21 October to Sunday 5 November
From 11:00 to 13:00 and from 14:00 to 18:00
Children are invited to try on medieval costumes, tunics or headgear, to put themselves in the skin of lords and ladies in the time of the castles.
🔸Visit "Everyone at the museum"🔸
Sunday 5 November
At 10:30
🕚 1h
Take a closer look on a collection of ancient weapons and armor of nearly 300 pieces. One of the most important French private collections to be open to the public. A unique conference visit to discover its treasures.
In French
Face to face with a "pioneer-soldier" of the Hundred Years War
From Sunday 22 October to Thrusday 2 November
(except Fridays and Saturdays)
At 11:30, 12:30, 14:00, 15:15 and 16:15
🕚 20 min
Guided tour and trebuchet firing demonstration
From Saturday 21 October to Sunday 5 November
At 11:00, 12:15, 14:30 and 16:00
🕚 1h
Blacksmith demonstration
From Sunday 22 October to Friday 3 November
(except Saturday 28 October)
From 10:00 to 13:00 and from 14:00 to 17:30
Castelnaud brings out the heavy artillery! EXCEPTIONAL
From Saturday 28 to Thursday 31 October
Couillard and trebuchet shots
Demonstration of fire with the castle's life-size war machines, powered by a garrison straight out of the Hundred Years War, under the watchful eye of the re-enactment engineers.
Artisans builders of fortresses and siege engines
Discover the secrets and the methods of building powerful castles and impressive war machines built to defeat them.
A guided tour in French led by a mediator in medieval costume.
From 6 to 12 November
Guided tour and trebuchet firing demonstration
Attack! Guided tour in French on the theme of attacking a fortified castle that end with a trebuchet demonstration (one-third scale model).
Sunday 3 December
🔸Visit "Everyone at the museum"🔸
Sunday 3 december
At 14:30
🕚 1h
Take a closer look on a collection of ancient weapons and armor of nearly 300 pieces. One of the most important French private collections to be open to the public. A unique conference visit to discover its treasures.
In FrenchChristmas holidays
Trying on medieval costumes
From Monday 26 december 2023 to Sunday 7 January 2024
From 10:00 to 13:00 and from 14:00 to 17:00
Children are invited to try on medieval costumes, tunics or headgear, to put themselves in the skin of lords and ladies in the time of castles.
Exhibition "The Hundred Years War - A century of fashion" NEW
From Saturday 23 december 2023 to 1 March 2024
Twelve state-of-the-art and completely reconstructed seigneurial outfits illustrate the evolution of the shimmering attire of the aristocratic fashion of the time. A great opportunity to break through the dark and dirty image we have of this period! These hand-sewn costumes by Jimmy Lecordier are the result of meticulous research and over 2,000 hours of work.
Elegance lessons by Claude de Cardaillac
At 11:30, 14:30 and 16:00
🕚 30 mins
Follow Claude de Cardillac, a 15th century lady from Castelnaud, highly preoccupied with renewing her wardrobe ! An opportunity to learn more about Medieval fashion, despite the religious morals of the era.
Guided tour in French held inside, led by a guide in costume interpretating a historical figure.
2023 program to download
