The tour
Comprehensive descriptions, interactive terminals, audiovisuals and scale models help you during your unguided tour (1h). You can visit the museum and discover an important collection of more than 250 pieces comprising authentic weapons and armour from throughout Europe. A tour at your own pace that allows you to soak in the castle’s atmosphere, from the kitchen to the parapet walk.
Outside, the most powerful medieval siege engines (mangonel, trebuchet, bombarde…) have been recreated. A medieval garden pleasantly concludes your visit.
BASTION 16th c.
Artillery tower 16th c.
Upper bailey
Living quarters 15th c.
Keep 13th-14th c.
Curtain wall 13th c.
Barbican 15th c.
Lower bailey
Enceinte 15th c.
Medieval garden
Crossbows room
Paintings room
Kitchen
Weapons room
Blacksmith
Trebuchet firing
Reading room
Medieval show
Panorama ★★
Meeting point for the guide visit
Toilets
Chatelet 17th c.
Reception
Shop exit – tavern
Main entrance
Easy tour
Pushchair shed
During your tour, you will find…
An immersive layout of historical artifacts
As though you were there at the time! You can enter the artillery tower, built in the early 16th century. You climb a narrow stairway cut out of the thick walls to reach the four floors. Darkness, cannons in place, trapdoors, ropes, everything is in position. Watch out in case an attack is launched!
The Nine Worthies, a wall painting highly prized at the end of the Middle Ages
A magnificent painted décor adorns one of the rooms of the castle’s living quarters. Heroes and models of chivalry, they are divided into three triads: Pagans (Hector, Alexander the Great and Julius Caesar), Jews (Joshua, David and Judas Maccabeus) and Christians (Arthur, Charlemagne and Godfrey of Bouillon).
The model of the siege of 1442
This siege marked the end of the Hundred Years War at Castelnaud castle. In late 1442, the English were definitively chased from the castle. Visual and sound effects animate the model of the village of Castelnaud and draw you into the heart of this event.
Videos
To complete the museum’s collections, six videos have been put in place. You can watch the stages in the construction of Castelnaud castle, explained through 3D images, relive a siege of a fortified castle (new for 2022), discover the equipment of an arquebusier and a crossbowman and also understand the impressive reconstruction work carried out at the Château de Castelnaud (new for 2022).
Reconstitution of medieval clothing
Several sorts of clothing are exhibited in the museum to imagine better the clothes of the Lords of Castelnaud at the end of the Middle Ages. The elegant silhouettes, with ample sheets of wool, with silk and fur reveal the fashion trends at that time and determine the membership in a particular social group.
The reading room
Comics and educational works about the Middle Ages are available to children for a recreational break.
Siege engines models
Perrière, bricole, mangonel, trebuchet, couillard… All these siege engines have been recreated on scales of 1:10 and 1:20.
Videogame
In this game your mission is to free a character imprisoned in the castle. It’s up to you to find the means of overcoming the obstacles. Your choice will be crucial. If you succeed, you win a surprise reward!
To guide you, the tour booklet is available free of charge at the entrance to the castle.
It is available in 12 languages and in Braille. You can also download it here:
For children aged 7 to 12,
ask for the games booklet!
24 pages of illustrated games to guide children through the castle and its museum. Rebuses, fill in the blanks, hidden words, connect the dots, spot the differences… for an appealing and amusing tour!
Free of charge. Available at the welcome desk while stocks last.
