le chantier medieval de guedelon

I was here before I began reviewing for TripAdvisor and so before the settings will allow me to say, 2012. If you are interested in history or castles or architecture, or any of a number of other things this is a must see if you are in the region. This is such a very hands on and see it in action place which will make other castles and medieval locations come to life for you. It is rich and deserves as much of a day as you can give it but if you only can give it a morning or an afternoon you will still be well rewarded. Every school class in France should be doing field trips here. Same for England and Germany except it is too far. Very few locations are doing the depth and dedication of recreating the old methods one sees here. There are certainly many fine places of reenactment but that is mere dress up compared to the way these dedicated volunteers step back in time and technology. Put it on your must see list.

Amazing place. Fascinating to watch the tradesmen at work, recreating this beautiful place with medieval techniques. Great guide who explained the history, techniques, and how those site came to be built. Worth the trip to see it if you are a history buff.

This place was quite difficult to get to (hard to find). We had 2 GPS and we still got lost. Once we got there, the place was fantastic. Amazing to see the work being done. We didn't follow any tours, just self guiding ourselves. Our kids (ages 10 and 12 boys) loved it. They had seen it on Battle Castle and seeing it in real life was just a dream come true.We'd like to come back in a few years and see the progress. The boys plan to come back when they're in university, will likely be almost done by then!There were quite a large number of tour buses there and many kids (school groups). Not many non-French tourists.

Our guide at Guedelon was Sarah. She was British and had the perfect blend of knowledge, accent and dry humor to make our tour enjoyable. Viewing the ancient methods during construction was very interesting. There are areas for picnics and they sell drinks. We were there on a beautiful September day. It was cool and sunny. I would imagine that on a rainy day, it could be a pretty muddy experience. I'd still recommend the site.

This castle construction has been going on since 1998 when the quarry was first cleared for work to start.No modern tools or methods are used,workers live the period unfortunately French law means they only work from 1000 to 1800,not dusk to dawn as it should be.the first year there was 4000 visitor now it has reached in the millions.there is food onsite and toilets plus a gift shop.nearest city is Auxerre.A great place to visit for all ages and expect to spend 3 hours or more,some tours in English,during summer season.12 euros to enter.

Fascinating project, well worth the visit if you're in the area. Allocate a morning or afternoon: We spent about 4 hours watching the workers carry out their part (quarrying stone, chiselling blocks, making planks, building the walls) but you could probably speed through if you had less time. Tours only in French in August (or so the blank looks from the ticket office told us-- you may be more lucky!)

The construction of a medieval castle using original tools and techniques sounded like a one-of-a-kind attraction and we were not disappointed. Truly amazing to see how this was all accomplished hundreds of years ago. We did not take an English tour but with a guide book, we could figure things out. A good bit of the actual central house is complete with work now focused on finalizing towers and encircling fortress walls. Not to be missed are the outlying artisans, stone cutters, carpenters, cloth dyers, and the rope maker (cordier). The demo of rope making was especially fun as he enlisted kids to make a rope. As others have said, this would be a great experience for kids to learn the history of castles by seeing this construction.A tip for driving there. I had a Garmin GPS and was glad I did. The site is truly in the middle of nowhere. And recall that many French roads point out directions to towns and do not always state the route number of the road. Also do not rely on your smartphone GPS since no mobile service exists in this area so turn-by-turn directions will not work.

Wooow, since years they introducé people in the way a castle was huilt around 1300. They do so by doing it now...the castle is,already half finishend. Worth a visit for at least half a day....not so very far from Paris....go and visit and learn and teach your children..

We had a great time at Guédelon. It is an amazing and long-term project to recreate a medieval castle using authentic tools and techniques, and hopefully we will visit again in the future to see how it continues to progress. It was not too busy when we were there, just before the start of the high season. Being medieval minstrels by trade we could not resist getting out our instruments to play a couple of tunes in the painted chamber - quite magical!

We visited this site in high summer and got there at about midday and the car park was almost full. The queues for tickets seem to move like treacle but we got there eventually. The shortest queue was to pay without using a credit card so if you have enough cash, use that. We used the toilets before going in - basic and unisex, no soap and a urinal uniquely positioned just inside the entrance. Not for shy gentlemen! Anyway, onto the visit proper. We booked on the English guided tour at 2pm so we had plenty of time to eat and then wander round. There are three eateries inside, varying from sandwiches to cooked meals. We chose the tavern with hot main meals, plenty of salads, cheeses and desserts. The food bill came to around €50 for four main meals (one a soup), one dessert and three soft drinks. Fairly reasonable. No complaints about the food which is rustic but filling. Then onto the site for a wander round before our guided tour. They started building the castle 15 years ago and won't complete it until 2025 so there's plenty to see and as the years continue, there'll be more buildings constructed. It's quiet on the site with regards to the workers at lunch-time (this is France of course) but you can still check out the buildings, including the cellar, kitchen, great hall and the ongoing work on a corner tower. The workmanship is impressive and the site comes alive again after lunch when the workforce returns to hew and smash stones, and hoist materials up to the stonemasons at the top of the tower. It is, however, always busy inside the castle as all the visitors explore so there can be the occasional tight squeeze to enter or leave rooms. There's more to see than just the main building but we had to get back to the entrance area for our tour. Our tour guide was great, delivering a very interesting explanation of the project and the history behind it with a gentle dry wit. We were the only 'real English' in the group, which mainly comprised Dutch who had missed the tour in their language earlier. The tour lasted an hour and a half and I can honestly say I wasn't bored or tired. It was fascinating. Well worth a visit.

This is the only place in the world where an authentic medieval castle is being constructed using only the real methods, tools and materials. Fascinating way to understand construction techniques. It is a 25 year project and there 10 years left. If you understand French make sure to take a guided tour. It is cheap and the tour guides are also working on the construction so they are very knowledgeable. Kids will also have a great time: lots of farm animals and interactive presentations. Families can bring their own food and have a picnic under the covered areas just outside the entrance. Alternatively, you can eat a simple lunch at one of the small cafes on site.

A castle with a difference. A real insight into the past. The guided tour gives the needed back ground information.

We had a great family visit to the Guedelon Medieval castle in late June, 2014. It was difficult to find- almost no signage until we were within 5 km- but it was worth the search. The techniques being used to construct the Chateau are fascinating. Everything is well-explained. The compact area makes it an ideal visit for just about everyone. Worth a visit (or detour)!

The Guedelon project of rebuilding a medieval castle is both a scientific/archeological project and educational project. It will take them 25 years to build the castle using medieval techniques. Already half done! Location is wonderful and you can see all the workshops and chat with the workers while they are actually working. This is really a unique experience. Good for any ages!

When planning our time in France, I stumbled on a reference to Guedelon. Sounded so interesting that we went out of the way to see it. So glad we did. A remarkable team is actually building a real medieval castle from scratch using medieval methods. Totally authentic and very well shown. You can walk all around to see the various craftsmen doing exactly what they would have done in the 13th century. No modern technology. And the castle is big, not a little demo. You walk inside and can go up on the ramparts that are finished so far. In the U.S., the closest comparison would be Williamsburg, but this is 13th century instead of 18th century. And this is a more rustic atmosphere. Plus... it's just the castle... no outlet malls and pancake houses. GO!