Urfé Castle

This castle born in the 12th century is located at 930m above sea level in an exceptional setting. You will participate in the ambitious work of strengthening the western curtain wall (traditional masonry, repointing), the construction of a wooden hut and the organization of the bread festival (and the association's 40th anniversary!). On the leisure program: visits to the region's heritage, swimming, festive meetings with the locals, etc.

The "Cornes d'Urfé" castle is located at an altitude of 930 meters, at the junction of Forez, Auvergne and Bourbonnais. This fortress built between the 12th and 14th centuries on the western edges of the county of Forez in Champoly (Loire), was the first attested residence of the Raybe d'Urfé family, one of the oldest noble lineages in Forez.

The site offers an exceptional panorama from the top of the keep where an orientation table makes it easy to locate. It is one of the rare places where, on a clear day in the morning, you can observe Puy-de-Dôme and Mont-Blanc simultaneously.

During your stay, you will benefit from a guided tour of the castle retracing the history of this extraordinary building and its successive inhabitants.

You will be part of a group of 12 volunteers supervised by two leaders. The site schedule is 9 am-12pm, 1:30 pm-4:30pm, flexible according to the group's requirements and fatigue. The supervision is managed by a professional mason.

In addition to raising awareness about the preservation of our heritage, we strive to generate a positive group dynamic by developing mutual aid, autonomy and kindness.

You will be staying in Champoly, a welcoming and dynamic village, in a comfortable communal building: rooms with 2 to 4 beds, equipped kitchen, living and dining room, two shower rooms, 4 toilets, WiFi, courtyard, garden. The house is organized collaboratively with a schedule of household tasks.

We make sure to organize free time to offer you a discovery of the region and its heritage and to encourage meetings with the local population. This last point seems essential to us both in terms of mutual openness to different cultures and in order to raise awareness among residents of our community life.

One and a half day off per week is reserved for leisure activities such as visits to the heritage of the region, swimming in the nearby lake, soccer tournament, pétanque, campfire at the castle, festive meetings with the locals, walks.

The bread festival which will take place on August 8, will be an opportunity to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the Renaissance d'Urfé association!