Château de Peyrelade, Rivière-sur-Tarn, France

The Château de Peyrelade name is derived from the occitan 'Pèira Lada', meaning wide rock; an accurate description of the site. Objects found on the site suggest it was inhabited in prehistoric times.

Thanks to its position controlling the entrance to the Gorges du Tarn, it was one of the most important castles in the Rouergue province. It existed at least as far back as the 12th century, and was the scene of incessant battles and sieges until 1633 when it was dismantled on the orders of Richelieu.

The ruins give a good idea of the layout of the castle. The outer wall was more than 250m long, 10m high and 2.1m thick. The castle was dominated by a natural rock keep more than 50m high, only accessible from a round tower attached to it.

The Château de Peyrelade is one of a group of 23 castles in Aveyron which have joined together to provide a tourist itinerary as La Route des Seigneurs du Rouergue. Château de Peyrelade is open to visitors from mid-June to mid-September.

References:

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User Reviews

Koene van Rossum (2 years ago)
Nice and well taken care of. High climb. Not wheelchair accesible. Real culture with Nice view and history

Tyler Ardron (3 years ago)
Very nice view of the area

Ellah Chiminya (3 years ago)
Beautiful Castle Peyrelade under renovation.

Thomas Somerville (5 years ago)
Fantastic place for kids and adults alike, well set out and informative. We would strongly recommend this attraction for any budding little Princesses or Knights.

Rasmus Starup-Hansen (6 years ago)
This place was not easy to find. We drove the wrong way 4 times before we parked the car along the road and decided to walk the rest of the way. It was well worth it though. The view from the top was great and it was interesting to explore the castle and it's history. At the entrance you are offered to watch a short movie in an airconditioned room about the history of the area

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