Play a little at Bridoire

Bridoire calls itself le château des jeux — the castle of games — so on a recent visit we put that motto to the test: What better "taste tester" than a lively 5-year-old?

Château Bridoire

The castle's history is not an entirely happy one. Built in the 12th century, Bridoire has seen battles of religion and decades of plunder. Its current owners, Catherine and Jacques Guyot, bought Bridoire in 2011 and brought it back to life. As they describe in the visitors' guide:

"After 9 months work to repair the damage of time and by people, Bridoire has risen from the ashes and is now open to the public. We are proud to welcome you here and share this exhilarating moment with you."

As we approach Bridoire, after parking just across the lane and paying a reasonable tarif of 8€ adult, 5€ child, we cross an expansive yard with intriguing, low-tech games that beckon. Knowing we face a time limit on our young friend's attention span, we decide to tour first and play later.

We start our visit in the kitchen on the ground floor where I find myself with a serious case of copper-pot envy.

Château Bridoire

Château Bridoire

We also visit the château's dining, billard and sitting rooms as well as its chapel. Along the way, we stop to admire (and try on) some armor.

Château Bridoire

Champing at the bit to play, we head outside where we spend more than an hour, trying out various games within the château grounds and just beyond the gate.

Château Bridoire

Château Bridoire

Château Bridoire

Château Bridoire

Château Bridoire

It's time for a snack ... good thing la maman de notre petit ami packed a generous amount of food with which to refuel, because the fun is not yet over. Next stop: corn maze!

Less than two minutes later, we pull into the parking lot at Labyrinthe Végétal, les Fées Mères (the fairy mothers). We are given our choice of "clues" to help guide us through the extensive corn maze. We let our young friend lead the way, although we insist on holding hands so he doesn't take off and leave us lost, forever, in the labyrinthe.

Labyrinthe Végétal

Labyrinthe Végétal

Labyrinthe Végétal

Spoiler alert: We successfully find our way to the exit. And while the old folks rest and have a cold refreshment, le garçon amuses himself in the bounce house. He'd be there still if we hadn't bribed him with another snack.

Labyrinthe Végétal

Labyrinthe Végétal has a pleasant snack bar with reasonable prices, a covered picnic area, a selection of farm animals for petting and an intriguing looking WC, which I didn't visit, but do include a picture below for your viewing pleasure.

Latrine at Labyrinthe Végétal

Château Bridoire (24240 Ribagnac) is located 12 km south of Bergerac. The château is open every day 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. in the summer, and for night visits on Thursdays and Saturdays until August 23. For more information, visit chateaudebridoire.com.

 (24240 Ribagnac) is open every day until September 15 from 10 a.m. to 7 p.m. and in the evening on Thursdays and Fridays. Visit les-fees-meres.fr for more information.