Val castle site
A medieval jewel of the Auvergne region, Val castle fascinates at first sight. Resting on a rocky spur, it reflects on the calm waters of the Dordogne, held back by the Bort-les-Orgues dam, deep in the forest.
A bucolic site par excellence, the site is also designed for relaxation and leisure. A wide range of on-site activities is available to extend your visit to the castle.
The castle
Built in the 15th century on 13th-century ruins, Val castle stands on the edge of one of Europe’s largest lakes. It became almost an island in 1951, when the Dordogne valley was flooded, and today dominates the reservoir of Bort-les-Orgues, in a green setting. The flooding of the valley to produce hydroelectricity spared the castle, but wiped out at least three villages and a railroad line.
Seemingly out of a fairy tale, the castle is open to the public all year round. Guided tours, exhibitions, children’s games and events of all kinds are on offer to delight young and old alike.
Bort-les-Orgues Lake was created by damming the River Dordogne, which rises where two rivers (the Dore and the Dogne) meet in the heights of the Sancy massif. Partly fed by the river, but also by diversions from streams on the Artense plateau, the reservoir is the fourth largest in France.
The 500 million litres of water are spread across the Cantal, Corrèze and Puy-de-Dôme departments, and are held back downstream by a sturdy dam and operated by EDF at the Bort-les-Orgues hydroelectric plant. Each year, the plant produces the equivalent of the electricity consumed by a town with a population of 128,000!