Sightseeing tour of Belcastel
Situated only 45 km from the campsite in Aveyron, the town of Belcastel remains the essential destination for your stay.
Occitan village built on the river Aveyron and historical stopover on the way to Compostella, Belcastel Aveyron spreads its medieval village around an imposing fortified castle.
Tourist guide of Belcastel
The stone houses with Lauze roofs were built in espaliers at the foot of the 11th century fortress. An old bridge crosses the river to connect the village to its 15th century church. Belcastel also enjoys an exceptional natural setting : the rock and its waterfall form a fairy-tale setting around the thousand-year-old city.
The Aveyron river slides around the village and under the old stone bridge, offering walkers vast shady banks.
Between Rodez and Villefranche-de-Rouergue, this small preserved medieval village nestles at the foot of the rocky spur on which stands its Belcastel Castle which is classified among the Most Beautiful Villages of France.
A village of character with a rich architectural and historical heritage, Belcastel is also one of the most typical witnesses of the Aveyron culture.
The tables of its restaurants Belcastel make the visitors discover the local culinary specialities and the richness of the local products. The highly mediatized chef Cyril Lignac has notably made his mark in Belcastel, starting his career in the starred restaurant of the Vieux Pont.
Belcastel : Most Beautiful Village in France
Belcastel is rich in an exceptionally preserved medieval heritage.
Its castle Belcastel, whose majestic silhouette dominates the green valley of the Aveyron, was restored from 1975 to 1982. Directed by the architect Fernand Pouillon, the work involved a number of local craftsmen. The dynamic of heritage enhancement has spread throughout the village, whose local stone houses now seem to have emerged from a distant past.
The natural environment, historical architecture and traditional materials are the subject of the same attentive preservation at Belcastel Aveyron. Narrow streets and calades lead visitors to an eventful past, from medieval farms and chapels to sumptuous 16th and 17th century residences. The village’s old forge, which has been restored as a museum of ancient trades, continues to tell the story of the small village nestled on the riverside.
The castle of Belcastel, whose first foundations date back to the first half of the 11th century, was completed in the 15th century, as was the church of Sainte-Madeleine which faces it on the other side of the Aveyron river. Home of the de Saunhac family, the building was abandoned in the 17th century. Its restoration was undertaken with the most faithful respect for its original medieval architecture. Indissociable from the village and emblematic of the village, it participates today fully in making Belcastel one of the “Most Beautiful Villages of France”.
Belcastel: the essentials
- The visit of the castle and the rock of Anglars : the castle of Belcastel can be visited freely, discovering the courtyards, the medieval chapels, the prison, the moat and the gardens, but also the permanent exhibitions and temporary art exhibitions.
500 meters upstream from the town of Belcastel, the visit of the roc d’Anglars completes the visit of the castle by showing the remains of a 5th century fort, which was then used in the Middle Ages as an outpost for the defense of the fortress. - The fishing on the Aveyron : the banks of the Aveyron river form an idyllic setting in Belcastel which invites you to go for a walk, a picnic or a fishing trip. The shady banks of the river are a restful place where you can relax in a thousand ways with your family.
- The discovery of the old trades at the House of the forge : ‘old forge of the village, converted into a museum, offers visitors to discover the living environment of a blacksmith of yesteryear, the techniques of net fishing in flat-bottomed boat, or the tools of the clog maker.
- The commented hikes and strolls are a pleasant way, and why not sporty, to discover Belcastel and its environment: at the attack of the steep calades, quietly along the river, towards the Anglars rock or on the way to Compostela, the routes are many and varied from Belcastel France.
- The summer night markets liven up the small town every Friday in summer: evenings with a warm atmosphere not to be missed to discover local products and taste the magic of the illuminated medieval village.
