The best road cycling routes around Nicole

The Château Solar is an unusual building of medieval origin. It has the unique characteristic in the region of featuring neo-Moorish style architecture and today serves as the Town Hall (Mairie) for the commune. A first fortified castle (castrum) belonged to the Castelmoron family from 1259. Dominating the Lot, it was dismantled in 1345 during the Hundred Years' War. In 1840, the estate was bought by Félix Solar (Aaron Euryale Solar), a wealthy journalist, businessman, and great collector from the village. In the 1850s, he decided to completely rebuild the residence in the Orientalist and neo-Moorish taste of the time. Its architecture was inspired by the splendors of the Alhambra in Granada and the mosque of Cordoba, embellished with wooden galleries, moucharabiehs, and balconies. In 1902, the municipality acquired the building to house the town hall services.

In Nérac, the Château Henri IV peacefully overlooks the Baïse and tells the story of a king who became a legend. Former residence of the lords of Albret, it was the beating heart of the court of Navarre during the Renaissance. It was here that Henri de Navarre, the future Henri IV, grew up and affirmed his destiny. Today, the château-museum invites you on a journey between great History and the Gascon art of living. A stroll along the river, elegant galleries, and royal memories echo each other. A must-see to understand the soul of Nérac and Albret.

The Château Henri IV of Nérac, former residence of the lords of Albret, bears witness to the city's rich Renaissance past. Overlooking the Baïse, it was one of the living places of the future King Henri IV and remains today a must-see to discover the history of Albret.

Nérac Castle was founded in the 14th century, within a medieval town surrounded by walls and backing onto the Baïse River. Beginning in 1491, Alain d'Albret modernized this first tower and had three wings built. The west wing included the drawbridge and service rooms, the north wing housed Jeanne d'Albret's apartments, and the east wing constituted the main building of the castle. It was in this castle that Marguerite de Navarre, sister of Francis I and author of the Heptaméron, lived. A committed humanist, she brought Jacques Lefèvre d'Étaples, nicknamed the French Erasmus, to Nérac. Jeanne d'Albret, her daughter, was also sensitive to the ideas of her time and brought Théodore de Bèze to her court, before converting to Protestantism. It was in this context that Henry III of Navarre, the future King Henry IV, lived. He lived in this château for about ten years with Queen Marguerite de Valois, known as Queen Margot. The latter was responsible for the creation of the 3000-Step Avenue in the Parc de la Garenne, along the Baïse. This avenue, punctuated over the years with new fountains, was then surrounded by walls and accessible from the château by a bridge. The years following the assassination of Henri IV by Ravaillac in 1610 marked the decline of the château, first due to royal reprisals against Protestants and then due to the destruction caused by the French Revolution in 1793, when the château was declared national property. After the revolutionary destruction, only the north wing of the château remained, with its twisted columns so characteristic of the Renaissance style. The château was divided into lots and inhabited by several owners. Gradually, the municipality became interested in restoring the château, and a restoration project was drawn up by Eugène Viollet-le-Duc, whose sketches are on display in the museum. However, it wasn't until 1925 that the city became the owner of the entire building and began a restoration project to house the municipal museum. Since then, the royal residence and writer's home, the Château-Musée Henri IV, has offered visitors a permanent exhibition dedicated to Henri IV and the d'Albret family on the first floor, and the art of living during the Renaissance on the ground floor through various themes.

Perched more than 150 meters above the Lot Valley, the fortified town of Laparade offers a spectacular view from its belvedere and public garden. Founded in 1265 by Alphonse de Poitiers, it preserves traces of its defensive past: ramparts, moats, and ancient fortified gates.

Nestled on the banks of the Baïse River, Nérac offers a peaceful atmosphere. Formerly the residence of Henry of Navarre, the future Henry IV, the town preserves a rich heritage with its castle, cobbled streets, and half-timbered houses.

Walled city, that is, completely surrounded by fortified walls.

Beautiful and particular walled city, that is, completely surrounded by fortified walls.