Château de Hautefort
A Loire style Château in the Périgord Blanc
From a distance Hautefort resembles one of the Loire Châteaux more than it does a Périgordian stronghold. It was in fact originally built as a fortress during medieval times, but only one of the corner towers dates back to that period. Most of the buildings are 16th and 17th Century and are Renaissance or neo-Classical in style.
Now in private ownership, the Château has been fully restored despite suffering a serious fire in 1968. The magnificent gardens laid out in the French style with much topiary and sweeping geometric lines look out onto a large park laid out in the English style.
One of the original families to own the castle were the de Borns. Bertrand de Born was to become the most famous troubador of the 12th Century performing for Eleanor of Aquitaine amongst others at the Courts of Love.
N.B. Hautefort lies on the border of the White Périgord and Périgord Noir but is usually taken to be in the former.