Château de Poudenas

Poudenas, France

Built in the 13th century by the lords of Poudenas, vassals of Edward I Plantagenet, Duke of Aquitaine and King of England, the Château de Poudenas defended the valley of the Gélise, overlooking it by 50 meters, at the opening of the Landes Forest.

A military fortification until the 16th century, the castle was then adorned with mullioned windows, opening the keep to the north and south. A hundred years later, a complete redesign adorned the inner courtyard with two terraces each supported by four arcades, and the main facade with a triple gallery reminiscent of an Italian villa and its landscape.

The monument has been classified as a historic monument since August 22, 1984, for its facades and roofs of the keep and the buildings surrounding the main courtyard, its south facade with its gallery and terraces, its corresponding roof, its terrace in front of the castle facade, its stone staircase with straight flights, its fireplace in the grand salon and reception room, and its surrounding wall. It has also been listed since May 26, 1952, for the rest of its facades and roofs.

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Details

Founded: 13th century
Category: Castles and fortifications in France
Historical period: Late Capetians (France)

Rating

4.6/5 (based on Google user reviews)

User Reviews

natalia majerczyk (17 months ago)
We rented the chateau for our wedding this past weekend and we are floored beyond words. Caution! This is not the place if you are expecting to be waited on hand and foot like in a hotel, where you can trash the place, or treat people disrespectfully. The chateau is an ancient relic of the region and a living, breathing member of the Nadaillac family. Alix, Jean, and their son Henri were extremely kind and welcoming and immediately took us in as family. It is evident this chateau is a familial labor of love. The impeccable decor, the plethora of gardens, the nature and all of the chateau’s wildlife are meticulously cared for. As mentioned, the place is ancient but even thus we did not encounter even a single spiderweb and found our feet rather clean even after walking barefoot. As Americans, we feared the accommodations would be a bit small but on the contrary there was soooooooo much room. Alix and Henri were with us the entirety of the weekend and their gentleness, selflessness, and hard work is not something we will ever forget. This must be the last place in the entire world that is like this. The chateau and grounds themselves are too stunning to describe. Walking into the Chateau de Poudenas immediately was like being transported into a fairytale - one where the world is kinder, slower, more beautiful, full of tenderness and magic, and where one can unveil some of the mysteries of the world.
Dr Azziz (2 years ago)
Excellent location for a wedding, rooms and lot of space ,swimming pool, big trees and shade for your car.
Elizabeth Kameo (2 years ago)
If there were still royalty in France, i am sure they would be found walking the grounds of Chateau de Poudenas. Majeatic, beautiful as though time, stood still this 13th century Chateau was built by the Lords of Poudenas who were subjects of Edward the First, a Plantagenet, Duke of Aquitaine and King of England. Today the castle is maintaimed, run and owned by Jean and Alix de Nadaillac, the last name of which features on a huge painting in one of the main drawing rooms of the castle. Chateau de Poudenas is a setting of charm, simplicity and royalty all folded in one. But that does not mean walking through its massive doors will leave you unintimidated. Very probably unlike in the 13th century, today the castle has a tennis, court, guests can play golf, bowls, molkky, ping-pong, table football, fishing or take a guided tour of the castle and especially cool off at the swimming pool that is set at the bottom of the magnific starway that leads into the castle.
Kate (3 years ago)
We spent a week at Chateau de Poudenas for our wedding. It was amazing! Alix and Jean were the perfect hosts, very friendly, very helpful and very accommodating. The chateau is absolutely incredible and it is maintained beautifully. Our whole stay was wonderful and the perfect place for our wedding! Our guests rented out The Logis, Maison de Simone, Maison Olive and the Bastion du Prince Noir and all of the accommodation was lovely. I can highly recommend Chateau de Poudenas! We cannot wait to visit again!
Rupert Thomas (7 years ago)
Our third happy stay at the Bastion du Prince Noir. Beautiful surroundings, no end of great days out, and an excellent pool to come back to after it all.
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