This visit was entirely a surprise. As you drive through Villandraut, the castle suddenly screams "Hey here I am!" out of no where. Now most castles sit atop a hill, or sometimes hidden deep in the forest, but no Château de Villandraut is just hangin' out right next to the road like it's just another house.

It is most definitely authentic. You can see as you walk by that there is absolutely nothing inside Château de Villandraut. This is probably why it only costs between 2-4 euros to enter.

Front entrance of the castle

Pope Clement V, originally Bertrand de Goth, had the castle constructed in 1305. It was finished by 1312, so if you're like me and can't do the math that quickly this means it is 702 years old as of 2014. You're welcome.

Back entrance of the castle

Most Middle Age castles are like this--massive stone ruins, an empty moat, and virtually nothing left. Kudos to the builders of this place though because during The Wars of Religion it took a hit of over 1200 canons, and it's still standing.
I've tried researching the exposition but I can't seem to get an answer. There are several random figures in and outside the castle. For instance, this yellow pair of legs...why?
Also, these red pair of feet just casually hanging off the top. It's like something bad out of The Wizard of Oz. Maybe if I had an explanation it wouldn't be so strange, maybe not.

My travel partner, Mathieu :)

As for visitors staying in the village, yes of course, go see it, I mean you really can't even avoid seeing it any who. However, if you're really around Bordeaux trying to get a feel for French history, you are better sitting this one out.

For more information visit http://www.chateaudevillandraut.fr. Adichat, the association who runs the events, does a great job of utilizing the property throughout the year.