So this post will be more of a travel post than the rest. Although, I guess this is technically a travel blog, so a travel post is to be expected, right? Hang in there with me. I’m actually a little excited to write this because we had such a great time.
The first thing I want to say is that travel with kids is hard. For all the reasons you would guess but also for others you might not consider. Now it might be different if we had two or three to entertain themselves (as everyone with multiple kids rolls their eyes at the concept of kids entertaining themselves), but one of the hardest parts of travel is finding places and events aimed at kids. Sure, we could drag Nora to museum after museum while we enjoyed all the adult aimed tours, but honestly any parent out there knows that would just be a punishment for everyone involved (ie: “Mom, I’m bored.” and “Mom, when is this over?). Finding things that appeal to your kid that you can also enjoy are key.
Enter Chateau De Bridoire!
Chateau De Bridoire is an old (15th century!) castle located in Ribagnac, France, which is about 30 minutes from where we’ve been staying in Dordogne. I found the Chateau by googling “what to do in Dordogne with kids.” Y’all, I am soooo thankful to all the parents (I assume moms because, well, you know how moms are) who have taken the time to write reviews and start blogs completely devoted to recommendations for kid activities all over the world. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve googled, “what to do with kids in x” and it saved my life. But this one might have been one of the best.
Chateau De Bridoire had been left for ruin – literal ruin and plunder until it was purchased in the early 2000’s by a private family and renovated and repurposed. Around the property they now display before and after photos that will take your breath away (and we have personally remodeled some real dumps, so coming from me, this is saying something). Anyway, the castle and surrounding property has been transformed to a vintage game area for families. Nothing electronic, no screens, bells, or lights. Just wooden old-timey games and they are awesome.
We actually started our visit with the on-site labyrinth. They give you a paper (in English for us, but it’s offered in multiple languages) with clues to solve interactive riddles as you tour a forested area and try to find your way out. It was SO much fun!
After completing the labyrinth (100% correct!) it was on to the castle lawn for all kinds of family friendly games We did eggs races, wooden pin bowling, sack races, tight ropes, and so many other fun games.
The games don’t end at the yard, you can actually go inside the castle and tour practically every room (I fell in love with the kitchen and I’m still trying to figure out how to convert my kitchen into something similar) and in most rooms you will find all kinds of historic board games. You would think that the owners would keep all of the rooms roped off from visitors like so many other historic homes, but nope. All of the rooms are open to the public and you are welcome to sit down and play as long as you would like.
They even have a stables onsite with ponies and bunnies and other small animals. We stayed several hours, but we easily could have made an entire day of it. This is one of those things that I highly recommend to any parent out there wanting to spend a day entertaining kids. And Nora gives it a full 5 stars. High praise from her.
Oh, and one last thing, did I mention they serve wine there?
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