France
Cadillac, France
Cadillac: A Garonne Bastide and Its Ducal Château
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Arriving in Cadillac
River ships moor on the Garonne at Cadillac, about 35 km southeast of Bordeaux, and your ship will tell you where and how far that is from the château. The château and the town square are inside the old walls, and the château entrance is at 4 place de la Libération.
- The town's official name has been Cadillac-sur-Garonne since 1 January 2023.
- Parts of the 14th-century town walls survive around the old town.
- The town hall, on place de la République, the central square of the bastide, has a covered market hall on its ground floor.
- Bus 481 between Bordeaux and Langon stops at Place de Lattre de Tassigny, about 300 meters from the château.
Cadillac on Your Own
A simple independent visit to Cadillac takes in the château, a walk around the old walls and gates, and the church of Saint-Martin with the dukes' funeral chapel. The château alone takes about an hour and a half.
- The château: Visits cover four levels: the duke's and the royal apartments, the basement with its kitchens, and the attics where the former prison is shown. It is open every day in summer and Tuesday to Sunday the rest of the year, closes for lunch, and is shut on a few public holidays; last entry is an hour before closing, so check before you go.
- The garden: The château garden, behind the building and against the town walls, is run by the town and open from Tuesday to Friday.
- Saint-Martin: The church was built between the late 14th and early 15th centuries, and a funeral chapel beside it holds the tombs of the dukes of Épernon.
- The gates: Surviving gates of the old walls include the Porte de la Mer on the south side and the Porte de l'Horloge on the east.
- Getting back on time: All-aboard is usually about 30 minutes before sailing, and your ship posts the exact time. A ship will not wait for passengers touring on their own.
- Carry ID: In France you must be able to prove your identity when asked, or within four hours at a police station, so carry your passport or another accepted ID.
Wine and the Market
The hillsides behind Cadillac make a sweet white wine that carries the Cadillac name, with its own appellation since 1973. The town also holds a market every Saturday morning.
- How the wine is made: Autumn mornings by the river are humid and the afternoons dry, the pattern that lets noble rot develop on the grapes. Sémillon makes up about 70 percent of the vineyard, with Sauvignon and Muscadelle.
- Other local wines: The same slopes also lie within the Premières Côtes de Bordeaux and Cadillac Côtes de Bordeaux appellation areas.
- Sauternes: Across the river on the left bank, the Sauternes appellation covers five communes, among them Barsac.
- The market: It is held on Saturday mornings; check before you go.
Tipping in France
French law requires the cost of service to be included in restaurant prices, so a tip is not expected, and the currency is the euro. A tip is a thank-you if you were happy with the service.
- By law, service is included in menu prices.
- Most French people who do tip simply round the bill up to the next multiple of five euros.
A Brief History
Cadillac was laid out as a bastide in 1280 and grew into a fortified river port that shipped wine down the Garonne to Bordeaux. Its château was a duke's palace and then France's first prison for women before it opened to visitors.
- 1280: Jean I de Grailly, viscount of Benauges and seneschal of Guyenne, founded the bastide on the site of the Bourg Saint-Jean.
- 1315 to about 1366: The town was walled, and it became a stronghold important to the defense of Bordeaux. From the second half of the 14th century its river port helped the wine trade of the Entre-deux-Mers grow.
- 1565: King Charles IX spent the night of 31 March in Cadillac during his tour of France.
- Around 1600: Jean-Louis de Nogaret de La Valette (1554–1642), a favorite of Henri III who made him the first Duke of Épernon, began his château here, clearing the northwest quarter of the walled town for it. Its outer wings and pavilions were taken down and sold for stone in the mid-18th century.
- 1617: The duke founded the Sainte-Marguerite hospital in memory of his wife, who had died in childbirth.
- 1701: The founder of Detroit, Antoine Laumet, called himself de La Mothe Cadillac. He was not from the town, and how he came by the name is uncertain; the car company founded in 1902 was named after him.
- 1818: The château became France's first prison for women. Nearly 10,000 women were held there over the century, and in the early 20th century it became a reform school for girls. A fire in 1928 badly damaged the northern part of the building, and the prison era ended in the early 1950s.
- 2018: The château's attics, with the cells of the former prison, opened to visitors.
- To learn more ashore: The Château ducal de Cadillac, 4 place de la Libération, shows both the duke's palace and its prison past.
Cadillac with Children
The château is the family visit in Cadillac, with free entry for under-18s and an exploration booklet with challenges and games. Strollers are not allowed inside, so bring a baby carrier for small children.
- Younger children: There is a changing table in the visitors' toilets. Activities for families, from storytelling walks to workshops, run during school holidays and on weekends.
- School age: The exploration booklet, sold at the ticket desk for €2 in 2026, sets challenges and games room by room, so check before you go.
- Teenagers: The attic cells of the former prison bring the building's darker history close, and a short video series follows the secrets of the tapestry showing the Siege of La Rochelle.
Accessible Travel
Only the château's ground level is accessible to wheelchair users, by a platform lift; the upper floors and the basement are reached by stairs. Check that the lift is in service before you go.
- The accessible level includes the shop, the main courtyard, the apartments of the duke and duchess, which are used for exhibitions, and accessible toilets.
- Most of the ground outside is paved with stone, but asphalt paths lead to the entrance and across the courtyard.
- Two parking spaces for disabled visitors are on place de la Libération, by the château entrance.
- Entry is free for a visitor with a disability and one companion, with proof such as a disability card.
- There is a hearing loop at the ticket desk, an easy-to-read visit booklet on loan, and tactile elements in the rooms. Guide and assistance dogs are welcome.
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