Château de Brametourte, Lautrec, France

Château de Brametourte, founded in the 11th century, surveys a stunning panorama across 20 hectares of parkland, woods & sun-flowered fields towards the Pyrenean peaks.

Situated in the south of France, close to the award winning bastide village of Lautrec, central to three UNESCO World Heritage sites, Toulouse, Albi and Carcassonne, the tranquil beauty of this ancient home of Barons & Viscounts, belies its turbulent past. The castle was immersed in the religious fervour of Cathars, Knights of the Templar & the Wars of Religion. Sieged during the 1580s, it fell into disrepair and was left forgotten and frozen in time.

Nearly half a millennium later, the Château has been traditionally and ecologically restored; pioneering one of France’s first, self-sustainable medieval castles.

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Château de Brametourte

User Reviews

Matthew A (12 months ago)
We got married at Chateau de Brametourte and absolutely loved every moment. The Chateau was an amazing backdrop for the day with stunning views and intimate settings throughout the grounds. It has been wonderfully renovated and all of our guests loved staying in great rooms full of character. We were blown away on our first visit and tour as we hadn't seen anything quite like it while trying to find a venue in France. It's easy to get to - we flew in from Toulouse airport and have visited 3 times. It's a lovely area to explore with nearby medieval towns and villages. Alison and Paul are outstanding hosts, who helped with so many little details, not to mention a great breakfast on each day. Planning a wedding throughout the pandemic was tough and stressful, but they remained communicative, helpful and flexible so that we could finally have our day - we wouldn't have wanted it any differently! We would highly recommend hosting any event here, or just visiting for an enchanting stay. Thank you so much.

sue tootyflooty (3 years ago)
Just had the most wonderful weekend at our dear friends wedding, the Chateau is so beautifully and lovingly restored to an exceptional standard, one of the most amazing places we have visited, with very welcoming hosts Alison and Paul, really hope we can revisit in the future.

Neil Mach (3 years ago)
Thoroughly magical

Featured Historic Landmarks, Sites & Buildings

Photo from Flickr, copyright Noémie 59

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Château d'Olhain

The Château d'Olhain is probably the most famous castle of the Artois region. It is located in the middle of a lake which reflects its picturesque towers and curtain walls. It was also a major stronghold for the Artois in medieval times and testimony to the power of the Olhain family, first mentioned from the 12th century.

The existence of the castle was known early in the 13th century, but the present construction is largely the work of Jean de Nielles, who married Marie d’Olhain at the end of the 15th century.

The marriage of Alix Nielles to Jean de Berghes, Grand Veneur de France (master of hounds) to the King, meant the castle passed to this family, who kept it for more than 450 years. Once confiscated by Charles Quint, it suffered during the wars that ravaged the Artois. Besieged in 1641 by the French, it was partly demolished by the Spaniards in 1654, and finally blown-up and taken by the Dutch in 1710. Restored in 1830, it was abandoned after 1870, and sold by the last Prince of Berghes in 1900. There is also evidence that one of the castles occupants was related to Charles de Batz-Castelmore d'Artagnan, the person Alexandre Dumas based his Three Musketeers charictor d'Artagnan on.

During the World War I and World War II, the castle was requisitioned first by French troops, then Canadian and British soldiers. The current owner has restored the castle to its former glory.

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