Château de la Malartrie — Attraction in Sarlat-la-Canéda

Unfortunately, I would not be able to recommend you stay at this chateau.

The Chateau interior As you can imagine, it is poorly designed for modern life. If you have any children or are outside of 18-45 years of age or any mobility issues, then this isn’t the place for you. There are many winding stairways, rugs that slip on wooden floors every time you stand on them, old uncomfortable beds, dated bathrooms and plumbing, a kitchen that can’t accommodate the parties that stay there, strange smells from locked doors, the electric goes out and you don’t have access to the fuse box. It is too hot and uncomfortable to get any sleep at night. You get woken up by bats at 2am and you can’t open the windows as apparently the bats will fly into your room. You are unable to go walk on any wooden floors unless in shoes really due to water.

The Pool The pool is down 2 flights of steep and turning stairs with lights that go off after a few seconds. The pool area itself is infested with hornets and wasps. Some of our children were stung by hornets and we were unable to use the pool for a day as numerous nests had to be exterminated right beside in the pool in the castle walls themselves. There are many dozens of these holes/old nests and I’d guess at any one time there is 6 or more nests on the go. The pool itself also got infested with worms of some description. We were told they are harmless, but they were all over the steps where the children were playing so hardly something we wanted.

Exterior The outdoors children’s play areas were dated and a bit dangerous. There were open water areas and lots of tripping hazards. The BBQ outside could handle a family of 3 but not a chateau full of people.

The views were nice, and you can walk to town but on the whole, for the amount of money that you have to pay, there must be many better options nearby or in the Dordogne region. For your safety and comfort, it is best to give this a miss. A real shame.

edit : I wasn’t even going to mention the scamming that happened on checkout and when we were at the airport but in their reply they have. A tablecloth, when put on from a drawer had a small burn mark on it. No one smokes, no candles were near it, therefore it could not possibly have been burned by us. Zero discussion on it. €60 stolen. Make sure you take pictures of every bit of wood and flooring in the entire place as any mark from the past century will be pinned on you. Cheap bedside tables will be picked apart and “water damage” cited to buy 2 new ones as they have to be bought as a pair you know - €300 lol.

TLDR? Nice location, not particularly suitable for most and scammed on checkout. We...

We booked a weeks stay in the Chateau as a family of 11 people, grand-parents, parents and kids. From beginning to end the experience was memorable and will be woven into the family mythology of best holiday ever !

The owners, Alix and Pierre-Augustin were accommodating, easy to communicate with (our French is basic to non-existant) and very helpful. We travelled in several groups and so arrived at the Chateau over the space of several hours, Alix and the housekeeper warmly welcomed everyone and showed us around the property. We had ordered a cold buffet for our first night and this was delicious and good value.

The Chateau occupies a commanding position on the banks of the Dordogne and the village (La Roque-Gageac) which is just a few minutes walk away. The Chateau comprises a stunning entrance hall, large kitchen, dining room and enormous living room. All of the bedrooms are large with modern bathrooms (copious hot water) and superb views over the river and the surrounding area.

We awoke the first morning to the sight of a dozen hot-air balloons drifting by the Chateau. An amazing start to a totally memorable week.

The pool although not heated, was a welcome relief from the hot temperatures. The children spent most of their time in the pool.

We visited several of the surrounding villages and markets, enjoying the hustle and bustle of a busy area. And then retire to the peace and tranquility of the Chateau with so much room to spread out and enjoy the relaxing calm at the end of the day.

Alix recommended eating in a local restaurant (La Belle Etoile), and made a reservation for us for the entire party of 11. This was arranged some weeks before we arrived. And it is obvious why, everything about the restaurant was outstanding. The food was exceptional, they happily catered for a vegetarian in our group. The staff were kind and welcoming. It was truly the culinary and social highlight of our stay.

The visitors book in the entrance hall contains wonderfully enthusiastic comments about the holidays that so many people have had at the Chateau. It is a wonderfully exciting and unique experience for the younger kids, but without doubt everyone enjoyed the facilities, the area and the people during a most memorable holiday.

We have no hesitation in whole-heartedly recommending the Chateau for a large...

We spent a magical week in the Chateau de la Malartrie with our family in early July. In our party of 16, there were 8 children ranging in age from 2 to 14. Everyone was delighted to be staying in such a beautiful old-world chateau. The views of the river valley are spectacular and the grounds of the chateau itself are lovely to walk around. The bedrooms were spacious, and we could keep them comfortably cool. The amenities for children were great (swings, pool, trampoline, nearby river, etc.) and a part of the chateau adjacent to the pool had been recently remodeled into an area with shower, sink, toilet and changing space, which made it simple to change out of wet suits before going back into the house.

The chateau is in close walking distance of la Roque-Gageac, a lovely small town with several very good restaurants. The chateau was also in easy driving distance of Domme with its caves and charming streets, Castelnaud, a medieval castle with ancient armaments, le Jardin de Marqueyssac, with its stunning gardens, and places to rent canoes to explore the river. We also had the pleasure of seeing hot air balloons rise into the air over the terrace. The hosts were also very helpful and gracious throughout our stay. All in all, a wonderful vacation in a very...