This castle construction has been going on since 1998 when the quarry was first cleared for work to start.No modern tools or methods are used,workers live the period unfortunately French law means they only work from 1000 to 1800,not dusk to dawn as it should be.the first year there was 4000 visitor now it has reached in the millions.there is food onsite and toilets plus a gift shop.nearest city is Auxerre.A great place to visit for all ages and expect to spend 3 hours or more,some tours in English,during summer season.12 euros to enter.
When planning our time in France, I stumbled on a reference to Guedelon. Sounded so interesting that we went out of the way to see it. So glad we did. A remarkable team is actually building a real medieval castle from scratch using medieval methods. Totally authentic and very well shown. You can walk all around to see the various craftsmen doing exactly what they would have done in the 13th century. No modern technology. And the castle is big, not a little demo. You walk inside and can go up on the ramparts that are finished so far. In the U.S., the closest comparison would be Williamsburg, but this is 13th century instead of 18th century. And this is a more rustic atmosphere. Plus... it's just the castle... no outlet malls and pancake houses. GO!
Amazing place. Fascinating to watch the tradesmen at work, recreating this beautiful place with medieval techniques. Great guide who explained the history, techniques, and how those site came to be built. Worth the trip to see it if you are a history buff.
The construction of a medieval castle using original tools and techniques sounded like a one-of-a-kind attraction and we were not disappointed. Truly amazing to see how this was all accomplished hundreds of years ago. We did not take an English tour but with a guide book, we could figure things out. A good bit of the actual central house is complete with work now focused on finalizing towers and encircling fortress walls. Not to be missed are the outlying artisans, stone cutters, carpenters, cloth dyers, and the rope maker (cordier). The demo of rope making was especially fun as he enlisted kids to make a rope. As others have said, this would be a great experience for kids to learn the history of castles by seeing this construction.A tip for driving there. I had a Garmin GPS and was glad I did. The site is truly in the middle of nowhere. And recall that many French roads point out directions to towns and do not always state the route number of the road. Also do not rely on your smartphone GPS since no mobile service exists in this area so turn-by-turn directions will not work.
I was here before I began reviewing for TripAdvisor and so before the settings will allow me to say, 2012. If you are interested in history or castles or architecture, or any of a number of other things this is a must see if you are in the region. This is such a very hands on and see it in action place which will make other castles and medieval locations come to life for you. It is rich and deserves as much of a day as you can give it but if you only can give it a morning or an afternoon you will still be well rewarded. Every school class in France should be doing field trips here. Same for England and Germany except it is too far. Very few locations are doing the depth and dedication of recreating the old methods one sees here. There are certainly many fine places of reenactment but that is mere dress up compared to the way these dedicated volunteers step back in time and technology. Put it on your must see list.
Fascinating project, well worth the visit if you're in the area. Allocate a morning or afternoon: We spent about 4 hours watching the workers carry out their part (quarrying stone, chiselling blocks, making planks, building the walls) but you could probably speed through if you had less time. Tours only in French in August (or so the blank looks from the ticket office told us-- you may be more lucky!)
Wooow, since years they introducé people in the way a castle was huilt around 1300. They do so by doing it now...the castle is,already half finishend. Worth a visit for at least half a day....not so very far from Paris....go and visit and learn and teach your children..
A castle with a difference. A real insight into the past. The guided tour gives the needed back ground information.
Our guide at Guedelon was Sarah. She was British and had the perfect blend of knowledge, accent and dry humor to make our tour enjoyable. Viewing the ancient methods during construction was very interesting. There are areas for picnics and they sell drinks. We were there on a beautiful September day. It was cool and sunny. I would imagine that on a rainy day, it could be a pretty muddy experience. I'd still recommend the site.
We had a great time at Guédelon. It is an amazing and long-term project to recreate a medieval castle using authentic tools and techniques, and hopefully we will visit again in the future to see how it continues to progress. It was not too busy when we were there, just before the start of the high season. Being medieval minstrels by trade we could not resist getting out our instruments to play a couple of tunes in the painted chamber - quite magical!