Exploring France’s Golden Triangle: The historic castle-studded valley with scenic drives and quaint villages

 It is a sunny mid-spring Monday morning as I look out from the crenellated battlements of Château de Castelnaud. Beneath me, the Dordogne river, still full of the downpours of the last few weeks, languidly divides the valley.

As the morning mist dissipates, I see Château de Beynac appear; its ochre limestone walls and turrets bathed in the golden glow of the early morning sun. Almost a reflection of each other – one English and one French – it's hard to imagine these two chateaux as bitter rivals, and yet that is exactly what they became during the 100 Years’ War.

I’m in the Dordogne and Périgord region, specifically the Périgord Noir (the Périgord is further split into Vert, Pourpre and Blanc) to explore what’s known as the Golden Triangle, an area shaped by the River Vézere in the north, the Dordogne to the south, and the border with the Lot region in the east. It is unparalleled in France for its concentration of historical monuments, with four of its seven communes classified as “Les Beaux Villages de France” (most beautiful villages in France).

My first stop is Castelnaud-la-Chapelle, classified as one of the most beautiful villages in France. The town sits in the shadow of the grand Château de Castelnaud, which stands sentinel on a valley’s edge overlooking the Dordogne. This château has a fervently violent history.

Changing hands several times in its history, it was eventually burned to the ground. The few remaining scorched stones provide the foundations for its reconstruction, which led to its involvement in the 100 Years’ War. Its English supporting Lord, Magne de Castelnaud, faced off across the valley with the French crown, helping the Barons of Beynac, and the Château Beynac. Throughout the 100 Years’ War (a misnomer, it lasted from 1337 to 1453, so 116 years), Château de Castelnaud was fought over, lost and reconquered until it finally fell to the French crown in 1442.

Unsurprisingly, this bastion of medieval warfare has an engaging focus on weaponry. Trebuchet, mangonels, and ballista still mount the battlements and, inside, an impressive collection of crossbows, medieval armour and weaponry showcases humanity’s dark obsession with slaughter.

Château de Commarque, located in the Beune Valley, has been inhabited since before records began. Today, it’s little more than a ruin, salvaged by Count Hubert De Commarque. The count’s eyes sparkle with life and mischievousness as he recounts all he’s done to restore it since 1962.

The results of his and other local restoration efforts are little short of miraculous. Built on top of Neolithic caves (with cave paintings still in situ), there is a Tower House, nobles’ homes, a chapel and a great hall. It’s easy to imagine soldiers guarding the ancient route from Montignac to the Abbey of Sarlat.

Château De Fayolle is from another era. Although built on the site of a medieval keep, it is quintessentially 18th century. It’s a little chilly when I arrive and am greeted by its faded elegance. The two central portals are overlooked by cartouches and are surrounded by internally shuttered tall windows, several of which are boarded up, giving us a clue to our next experience.

Gregory Mangeret, the owner, explains that although the restorations are ongoing, the unrestored parts of the building have been left as they are for an “urbex” experience. We explore untouched rooms with scattered papers, abandoned toys and still-made-up beds as our guide illuminates the way by torchlight. With shadows dancing on the walls around us, I feel like a true adventurer.

Next stop is Château de Losse, where I find a mix of styles from the more crenellated 11th-century stronghold to the influence of a more refined Renaissance. The clean lines and symmetry of Château de Losse are pleasing to the eye. It became home to the daughter of the deported Emperor Ham Nghi of Annam, Vietnam. Princess Nhu May studied agriculture and is credited with importing the first tractor to France.

Chateau de Puymartin and Milandes seem more feminine and elegant with a certain Disney magic about them. Château de Puymartin, again rebuilt following assaults in the 100 Years’ War, is a place of mystery and legend. It is filled with frescoes and art inspired by Greek mythology and is also home, supposedly, to the ghost of the White Lady, whose tale relates to a dark period in the family’s long history.

Château des Milandes has a more modern legend attached to it. It was home to the self-exiled American singer and dancer Josephine Baker. My trip through the Château is also a trip through Baker’s life as an entertainer, wife, member of the French Resistance and aristocracy, and the founder of the Rainbow Tribe of adopted children. While exploring the Château, the story guides me through Art Nouveau design alongside the medieval architecture of the building.

The Châteaux of the region provide the outline of the Périgord culture, but it is the land, the villages and the cuisine that fill it in. As we move between chateaux, we drive through forested valleys, past verdant acres of vineyards, alongside farmland yellowed with fields of rapeseed.

Stepping into villages and towns such as Saint-Leon-Sur-Vézere and Sarlat, I feel like I have walked into another era. Sarlat has a cleansed medieval charm with its maze of winding cobbled streets, tall buildings of honey coloured stone and its soaring Gothic cathedral. It boasts a record 65 protected sites. It is also the capital of foie gras. No matter how you feel about foie gras, you'll find it everywhere, though the region’s menus are filled with incredible duck dishes, too, along with the humble noix (walnut), found in everything from cakes to oil and even in liquor.

As we sit with the Marchioness de Puymartin and her daughter, Marie Sophie, we’re treated to a duck tapas menu, which includes a duck breast starter with hazelnuts and fennel and, for dessert, a seasonal “strawberry party”, the ice cream of which is finished with a sprinkle of crispy duck skin.

For a region so steeped in history, the Golden Triangle presents plenty of innovative ways to attract visitors, and I, for one, won’t hesitate to return.