Following in Josephine baker’s footsteps at the Château des Milandes

Built in 1489 by François de Caumont, a nobleman, upon the occasion of his marriage to Claude de Cardaillac. The Château des Milandes then becomes the Caumont family’s official residence and home, making full use of its remarkable medieval architecture, stunning glass pane windows and wonderful natural lighting dispersed throughout the home.

When the French Revolution happened in 1789, the nobles left the Chateau and it remained abandoned until the 19th century, when it was sold. New elements were progressively added to the chateau as it passed through different owners, from balconies to Renaissance towers. Josephine Baker started renting the chateau as of 1937 and finally purchased it a decade later. The singer added modern features to the chateau, such as electricity and running water and truly made the place her own while keeping its long history preserved and very much alive. After financial concerns, the chateau was put up for auction in 1964, but Baker managed to continue living in it until 1969. The chateau was then owned by four different families in the years following, and ultimately received the title of “Historic Monument” in 2009.

The French style gardens were created in 1908 by Jules Vacherot, a renowned landscaper for the city of Paris, at the request of the owner at the time, Charles Auguste Claverie. The gardens are made up of a regular, quite structured part, as well as amore irregular and wild section. Both of these come together to form a fascinating and highly enjoyable park or green space to wander through. The gardens seamlessly manage to mesh together a singular sense of modernity with more classic, antique-inspired motifs.

As you wander about the castle grounds, make your way to the imposing balcony adjacent to the chateau itself and admire the incredible view of the Dordogne. It’s the perfect spot to sit back and enjoy all the wonders Dordogne as a region is able to offer.

Don’t forget to stop by the chapel before heading towards the chateau to see where Josephine Baker was married for the fourth time. As you make your way through the chateau, be sure to look out for all its quirks and various intricacies that give it such incredible personality. You’ll also want to be prepared to get wonderful insights into Josephine Baker’s life and accomplishments, as well as that of her family and many children. It’s truly an educational experience like no other and lets visitors get an incredible glimpse into the life of one of France’s more revered and fascinating figures.

The Château des Milandes is famous for the birds of prey shows it puts on regularly. Around 60 birds inhabit the castle gardens and trained professionals put on shows featuring a few of the birds to educate the public about these creatures, what they are like and how they live. There are no shows during the winter months, and then the schedules vary based on the time you want to go, but you can find out more about this on their designated webpage. Other fun activities for the entire family include festivals, falconry shows and even musketeering lessons, just to name a few. Once again, you can find out all about the family-friendly activities the chateau puts on on a designated webpage.

By car: - The Chateau is located about 16 km south of the small town Sarlat La Canéda. The access is clear and well signposted. Parking is available on site. It’s worth noting that driving is the easiest way to access the chateau.

By bus: - Bus line 14 (Dordogne valley), is a new service starting from Saturday, July 8 to Thursday, August 31, 2023. It will make six round trips from Monday to Sunday from the SNCF station in Sarlat and drop visitors off at the Château des Milandes. Find out more about bus schedules here.