The construction of the Chateau de Guedelon attracts 300,000 visitors per year to its base in Burgundy, France. Photo / iStock
The construction of the Chateau de Guedelon attracts 300,000 visitors per year to its base in Burgundy, France. Photo / iStock
Olly Grant steps into the past at Guedelon, built using strictly medieval methods.
"Bon," says the Frenchman alongside me in the medieval smock. "On est pret?"
We are looking at what, to my untrained eye, is an oversized hamster wheel. Inside it is a man rather than a hamster. And nearby is a pile of rock, attached to the wheel with pulleys.
"Levez les freins!" shouts the Frenchman and, on cue, the wheel begins to turn. The man strolls. And, ever so slowly, the pile of rock begins to rise. Around us, watching tourists nod approvingly.
I'm in deepest Burgundy on a mission to visit one of the world's most unusual castles.
At a cursory glance, the Chateau de Guedelon looks and feels like any other 13th century pile, with a neat little bridge and a lofty corner tower. Get closer, however, and you soon notice a key discrepancy: its walls are still on the way up.
Guedelon is, basically, a vast historical experiment, in which a team of enthusiasts is attempting to recreate a medieval castle from scratch, using 13th century building techniques.
The project began in 1997, under the auspices of a local chateau owner, Michel Guyot, and former businesswoman Maryline Martin, who wanted to bring jobs to the area. Seventeen years later, their quixotic vision has turned an abandoned quarry in a dark tract of forest into the most unlikely tourist attraction in France.
"When I came to this originally, everyone said we were fools," says Maryline, who meets me for coffee in the visitor centre. Something about woods and solitude, though, focused her mind.
"Being isolated in the middle of this forest, I was able to cut myself off from the negativity and concentrate on what we wanted to happen here. And in time, everything came together."
Guedelon now attracts about 300,000 paying visitors a year, and it's not hard to see why.
Burgundy, France. Photo / Supplied
From the moment I leave the jarringly modern reception area, it really does feel like going back in time.
Horse-drawn carts clatter past with timber from the surrounding woods. Staff workers in full 13th century costume - there are about 70 of them - wander between huts carrying items such as lump hammers and hemp bundles.
Practically everything here, in fact, is made on site, from ropes and saws to roof tiles.
Overlaying it all, meanwhile, is the chink, chink, chink of the masons. Locals call it "the music of Guedelon" - the constant reverberation of iron on stone as new blocks are fashioned for a castle that keeps growing.
Maryline is right about the isolation, though. To get to the chateau, you really need a car.
It's tucked away down an unprepossessing road through Yonne, about two hours' drive from central Paris, and the final leg is best tackled with 21st century GPS. Mobile signals tend to expire by the time you reach the compound. Well, it is meant to be AD1245 here.
Being off the beaten track is both one of Guedelon's charms, and the reason relatively few British tourists visit. That may be set to change this month, though, because the site is about to star in one of BBC Two's most popular history strands. In Secrets of the Castle, the latest series in the Victorian Farm format, presenters will work alongside Guedelon staffers as they learn medieval life skills, from splitting sandstone to cooking pike.
The great thing about the chateau, is that you can relive a fair number of their experiences on a regular visit, because the whole place is interactive. An English guide, such as Sarah Preston, formerly from Bath and now the castle press officer, will explain the nitty-gritty of the build on an hour-long tour. Or you can wander at will and ask questions of the workers as you go.
Knowing a little French undoubtedly helps (although there is a British presence on the staff - one of the woodturners is an Englishman named Gary). The real pioneers can even sign up for short master builder courses, costing $10 a day.
Guedelon caters well for smaller medievalists, too. Around a third of the castle's annual visitors are school parties, and workers are happy to co-opt youngsters into the craft-making.
On my visit, the site was heaving with children scampering through the adjacent medieval village, tackling activity trails, helping the rope-maker twist twine on a rack, and ogling the pigs, chickens and goats that meander about, al fresco.
At noon, they scampered off to the nearby tavern to refuel on authentic 13th century snacks, such as pork shank, honey cake and (for the brave) scrambled egg with a garlic-giblet confit. The prices are strictly 21st century, ranging from $5-$20 a dish.
Behind all the activity, of course, there is also a subtle history lesson. Most heritage sites trap the past in aspic. But Guedelon, by nature, is always changing. Roofs go on, towers rise, and each year the fictional date ticks forward (they started out in the year 1228). You never quite know what you will find on a return visit.
In fact, the build has always been projected to be completed after 25 years. Back at the cafe, I ask Maryline what will happen then.
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Cruise Boating holidays include the French wine and food mecca of Burgundy, with its picture-postcard scenery, delightful vineyards and villages.
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Wine-tasting is a must, with some of the best French wines coming from the Chablis and Tannay vineyards of Nivernais and the Sancerre vineyards of the Loire. For a different winery experience visit the wine caves in Bailly or Tannay, with their underground galleries and tunnels.
Le Boat holidays allow you to drive your own a boat through European waterways without prior experience or a licence at your own pace and space. Hire bikes to explore cities and towns and customise your holiday to be the romantic getaway you have always wanted. Other romantic routes available with Le Boat include Aquitaine (France), Bruges (Belgium), Amsterdam (Holland) and Venice (Italy).
