About
Château du Raysse- an enchanted Dordogne castle in beautiful surroundings.
Our Story
In Arcadian Périgord, guarding the Dordogne Valley close to the famous river winding its way between châteaux and historic villages, in the South West of France, Château du Raysse is a resplendent Medieval Château constructed in the twelfth and seventeenth centuries.
The ancient Raysse Estate of 12 hectares comprises three main rental properties and two swimming pools which we encourage our guests to explore. The Château itself comprises three living rooms and seven en-suite bedrooms.
The charming estate includes two other rental properties, the Maison du Parc, which sleeps over 18 people and has eight en-suite bedrooms, and the Pigeonnier, an annex at the end of the Maison, which has two bedrooms and sleeps up to five.
Château du Raysse emerges from 20 acres of meadows, centennial trees and wilderness. Shallow sunshine shards dapple secluded spots in the expansive gardens and desultory walks snake through the woods. On the estate we have several gambolling deer, a bossy but loveable donkey, Vanille, and two quizzical sheep – Esmeralda and Quasimodo.
The estate offers two swimming pools, two large kitchens, a library, dining area, terraces for al-fresco dining and a huge expanse of grounds to explore.
There is a range of activities to choose near the estate, including canoeing, golf, a zip-line obstacle course, a water park and horse-riding. You can find out more here.
The History of the Estate
Our History dates back to 1155
The castle’s tower was laid in the middle of the twelfth century for the Raysse family, allies of the French Aquitaine duchy which was unpatriotically siding with Eleanor and her English husband Richard the Lionheart against the French king, Louis VII during the Hundred Years War.
The body of the Chateau was built at the end of the Religious Wars (about 1690), with the Maison du Parc being constructed shortly afterwards.
The overlayings of history interweave the fibrous cultural interstices of Château du Raysse in this ancient land, the Perigord, which is the birthplace of modern (Cro Magnon) man.