Bretenoux (Martel to Rocamadour)

(Published June 2013, last updated June 2025)

When the first settlers arrived in the ninth century, they found the rich alluvial soil here on the banks of the Céré River to be ideal farming land. The settlement, named Bretenoux, thrived and soon grew into a busy market town.

Four hundred years later, Baron Guérin de Castelnau, who ruled the region from the nearby Château de Castelnau-Bretenoux, fortified the village, protecting its role as the trading hub of the area.

Fortified villages, such as Bretenoux, are known as bastides and over 500 were built in the south-west of France during the thirteenth and fourteenth centuries. Bastide towns are typically laid out in a grid pattern around a central square which served as the trading centre for the village.

Unfortunately, few bastides remain today but Bretenoux is a good example with many beautifully preserved buildings and a real sense of a town that has evolved over the centuries but also remained essentially the same.

A map of the town describes the town’s buildings and the events that took place here mostly within a block or two of the central square—Place des Consuls.

Follow the map backwards (from point # 9 to point # 1) to end your walk in Place des Consuls where, on a Tuesday or Saturday morning, you’ll find yourself at the local market where farmers and traders have gathered for the past 800 years.

The markets offer a heady variety of fresh fruit, vegetables and flowers along with craft, clothing and jewellery stalls. If you are looking for some fresh bread, cheese, sausage, olives to pack a picnic lunch, you are in the right place but snoop around and you may also find something nice to provide a more permanent reminder of your trip.

Château de Montal

A few years ago, the GR path linking Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne and Bretenoux was rerouted and is now well past my 25—30-kilometre daily walking limit. It is possible to reach Bretenoux by walking alongside the D41 road but I recommend taking a break from walking and travelling to Bretenoux via Château de Montal by taxi.  

The sixteenth-century Château de Montal was built by Jeanne de Balsac between 1519 and 1534, and provides a fascinating insight into the daily life of the nobility.

For the quality of the exhibitions, we can thank Maurice Fenaille, a French philanthropist who purchased the château in 1908. According to an exhibit on the ground floor, the building was in a deplorable state, with many of the furnishings and sculptures adorning the façade having been removed and sold by the previous owner. With the support of Auguste Rodin, Fenaille restored and refurnished the château—buying back artwork and sculptures where he could and commissioning reproductions where necessary.

In May 1943, 13,000 works of art were brought from le Musée du Louvre in Paris and hidden within the rooms of the château. Among them was the Mona Lisa! In 2023, a new exhibition, which describes the complex logistics needed to keep these treasures safe, was added.

You can explore the château at your own pace with the help of a brochure—available in many languages. 

Château de Castelnau-Bretenoux

The path from Bretenoux to Château de Castelnau-Bretenoux and on to Autoire, follows the GR 652, and it won’t be long before the imposing façade of the château is visible, high on a nearby hill. 

Construction of Château de Castelnau-Bretenoux began in 1277 by Baron Guérin de Castelnau and, over the following centuries, was expanded to include an artillery tower and additional living quarters.

Although severely damaged by fire in 1851, the château was refurbished over a period of thirty years by the French opera singer Jean Mouliérat, who then donated it to the state.

A climb to the top of the tower will reward you with stunning views over the surrounding countryside where you can imagine yourself as a guard during the Middle Ages, watching for approaching armies.

Guided tours are available from the ticket office and there are often expositions held during the summer months.

On previous visits, I’ve been in too much of a hurry to make Loubressac by nightfall to take the guided tour through the apartments. With a more relaxed day of walking only as far as Autoire planned, there was plenty of time to join the last tour before the château closed for lunch.

What a treat! The château is richly decorated with furnishings collected by Jean Mouliérat during his residency in the early twentieth century. Although the rooms feel slightly at odds with the harsh exterior of the château, I strongly recommend a visit.

I love the stark contrast between the delicate, refined architecture of Château de Montal and the medieval fortress of Château de Castelnau-Bretenoux. Where Château de Montal highlights the elegant, genteel life enjoyed by the upper class, the rugged walls and towers of Castelnau-Bretenoux showcase the brute force used to protect the baron and his army.

I recommend visiting them both, but for many people, a visit to two châteaux in two days is simply one château too many. If I had to choose one, I would visit Château de Castelnau-Bretenoux—for the majesty of the building and its intimidating dominance of the hillside, for the view from the top of the tower and for the gorgeous display of furnishings in the apartments.

FAST FACTS

Which long-distance walk in France visits Bretenoux?
Martel to Rocamadour

Look inside the MARTEL TO ROCAMADOUR (PDF) guidebook

Where is Bretenoux, France?   Find it on Google maps

Bretenoux is located 69.3 kilometres (43.3 miles) from the starting point of Martel.

If you are following my suggested itinerary for this nine-day walk, you’ll arrive in Bretenoux at the end of the fifth day of walking. This relaxed pace allows plenty of time to explore the nine of France’s most beautiful villages you’ll pass through, including Martel, Turenne, Collonges-la-Rouge, Curemonte, Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne, Autoire, Loubressac, Carennac and Rocamadour.

If you prefer to set your own agenda, I share the steps I take to plan my itinerary on any long-distance walk (using the Chemin de Stevenson as a case study). 

Transport options to and from Bretenoux

Train line 67 Aurillac—Brive la Gaillarde makes a stop at Bretenoux-Biars train station, (located 2 kms/1.2 mi from Bretenoux and sometimes referred to as Biars-sur-Céré) and also stops at Saint-Denis-les-Martel and La Gare de Turenne (located 3 kms from the village of Turenne).

Lot region bus line 877 operates every day in July and August, but weekends only in June September, connecting Bretenoux with Bretenoux-Biars train station, Château de Castelnau, Padirac, Rocamadour, Lacave and Souillac.

Lot region bus line 887 operates on week days throughout the year, providing connections to Bretenoux from Biars-sur-Cère (if you have arrived by train to start this walk from Bretenoux) and from Saint-Céré (if you have visited Château de Montal).

Château de Montal is best reached from Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne by taxi. Service is available from:
Taxi Capron (05 55 91 02 83) and Taxi Cantoro (05 55 91 00 76) both based in Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne.
When you are ready to leave Château de Montal, walk three kilometres (two miles) to Saint-Céré and catch bus 887 back to Bretenoux or call Taxi Martinez (05 65 10 90 90) based in Bretenoux.

Tourist Office in Bretenoux

The Tourist Office in Bretenoux has closed but you’ll find helpful staff at the Mairie, located in the Hôtel de Ville on Avenue de la Libération.  Opening hours are listed on their website.

A map of the town showing the points of interest (Bretenoux Parcours) can be accessed or downloaded from the QR code on the Mairie website.

Château de Montal is open daily except for public holidays, and Mondays and Tuesday from October until March—check the Château de Montal website for exact times.

Opening hours at Château de Castelnau-Bretenoux vary throughout the year and the château closes for lunch between noon and two o’clock each afternoon, except during July and August. You’ll find the timetable on the Château de Castelnau-Bretenoux website.

Accommodation in Bretenoux  

Chambres d’Hôtes
Domaine de Granval (5 rooms, 12 people)
De la Bastide (3 rooms, 9 people)
Les Chambres du Pont de Lauque (2 rooms, 4 people)  

Campground
Campground La Bourgnatelle

How to book accommodation in French

Where to eat in Bretenoux

You’ll find several cafés, a bakery (boulangerie) and supermarket in Bretenoux where you can stop for lunch or dinner, buy picnic supplies or stock up on trail mix.   

Fresh food markets are held in Place des Consuls on Tuesday and Saturday morning.

Practical tips for long-distance walking—preparation, packing and avoiding blisters    

Purchase the Martel to Rocamadour (PDF) guidebook

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Look inside the MARTEL TO ROCAMADOUR (PDF) guidebook