What Le Château de Duras does

Le Château de Duras is a municipally owned historic monument and tourist site in the commune of Duras, Lot-et-Garonne, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France, operated by the local government as a public heritage attraction. The site comprises a 12th-century fortress (originally built in 1137 by Guillaume Amanieu) with approximately 30 visitable rooms across four levels, including underground spaces (bakery, kitchen, well, dungeon), noble apartments, and a tower summit of 120 stairs. It was classified as a French Monument Historique in 1970, the year after the commune acquired the ruins at public auction, and has undergone continuous restoration since. The castle is operationally run by a lean team of six employees, with its content substantially enhanced by a 2018 partnership with the Mobilier national that furnished the Duchesses' wing and Duke's apartments with 230 authenticated period objects.

The business operates a direct-to-consumer, event-driven commercial model layered on top of the public heritage function. Core revenue streams include individual and group admission tickets (€6-15 depending on season and visitor category), three internally and externally designed escape games (€23-29 per person for groups of 2-8), audioguide rentals in French and English, 4D son et lumière spectacles and theatrical performances (€5-10 per person), annual subscription passes (€21 adult, €11 child for non-residents), and pedagogical workshops for school and adult groups. Distribution is fully direct: on-site box office, a dedicated online ticketing platform (billetterie.chateau-de-duras.com), and phone/email reservations, with no third-party resellers. The site is positioned as a 'fleuron du patrimoine aquitain' within the Nouvelle-Aquitaine regional tourism ecosystem, with formal recognition as one of the Grimaldi historical sites of Monaco.

Customer segments span individual leisure tourists and families (primary), adult groups (minimum 15), school groups from maternelle to lycée, and international visitors, supported by partnerships with regional councils, the Mobilier national, the Côtes de Duras wine producers, and a rotating slate of theater and historical reenactment companies (Art'ata, PerBacco, Bric à Brac, La Garde de la Salamandre, Poney Bicéphale, La Mesnie de Barbazan) that deliver seasonal programming year-round. Marketing runs through the official website, Facebook/Instagram, TripAdvisor, regional guides (Petit futé, Le guide du Lot et Garonne), and email newsletter. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the entity is a public municipal operation, not a commercial enterprise.

Name

Le Château de Duras

Legal name

CHÂTEAU DE DURAS

Website

https://chateau-de-duras.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Le Château de Duras is a municipally owned 12th-century French heritage monument in Lot-et-Garonne, operating as a year-round tourist site with self-guided and guided tours, three escape games, seasonal spectacles, and educational programs for families, adult groups, and schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Duras

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Revenue model

1. Admission Tickets: Revenue from individual and group visitor admissions to the castle. Standard tickets range from €6-15 depending on season and visitor category. Higher summer rates apply during peak season.
2. Escape Game Sessions: Revenue from escape game experiences priced per person based on group size (€23-29 per person for 2-8 players). Ticket includes castle access.
3. Audioguide Rentals: Audio guides available in French and English for €1.50-2.50 depending on season.
4. Premium Spectacles: Special 4D son et lumière shows and theater performances during summer season, priced at €5-10 per person. Additional spectacle 'Les Légendes de Duras' by Art'ata company is ticketed separately.
5. Annual Subscriptions: Annual membership passes for local residents and visitors from outside Duras (€21 adults, €11 children).
6. Group Tours and Workshops: Revenue from guided tours and pedagogical workshops for school groups and adult groups, with minimum 15 persons for adult groups.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

No verifiable source material was provided in the input to describe the company's core offering.

Product overview

Le Château de Duras is a historical castle tourist site in Lot-et-Garonne, Aquitaine, offering a unified visitor experience combining heritage exploration with interactive entertainment. The core offering centers on self-guided and guided castle tours of the 12th-century fortress with 30 rooms across 4 levels, complemented by permanent escape rooms, seasonal theatrical and musical performances, hands-on workshops, and educational programs for schools. Products include: (1) Core Tour Products - autonomous and guided tours of the castle including the underground museum, noble apartments, and tower climb; (2) Escape Game Experiences - three themed rooms spanning 1668, Revolutionary era, and 1950s scenarios; (3) Seasonal Entertainment - 4D sound/light shows, medieval fencing demonstrations, Renaissance dance workshops, outdoor spectacles, Halloween trails, Christmas activities, and Easter events; (4) Educational Programs - workshops for primary and secondary schools covering history, calligraphy, heraldry, and marquetry; (5) Auxiliary Services - audioguides in French/English, children's discovery booklets, interactive light installations, and annual subscriptions. The site operates a year-round ticketing platform with variable pricing based on season and visitor category.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 120 stairs climb to tower summit offering panoramic views
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Mobilier nationalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partnership established in 2018 to furnish the castle with authentic period pieces. In 2018, the Duchesses' wing was furnished, followed by the Duke's apartments in 2019. The partnership provides 230 objects (furniture, carpets, paintings, sculptures, tapestries) from the former royal furniture repository created in 1604 by Henri IV.
• Région Nouvelle-AquitainemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional council partner providing institutional support and tourism promotion for the castle as a regional heritage landmark.
• Lot-et-Garonne DepartmentmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerDepartmental council partner supporting tourism promotion and heritage preservation.
• Pays de Duras Tourist OfficemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal tourist office providing regional tourism coordination and visitor information services.
• Tourisme Lot-et-GaronneminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDepartmental tourism promotion organization.
• Ministère de la CulturemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerNational ministry providing heritage classification and regulatory oversight for the Monument Historique.
• Les Vignerons de Duras (Côtes de Duras wine producers)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerWine producers association connecting castle visitors with local wine tourism experiences. The Maison des Vins offers tasting opportunities and 160 wine references.
• Marguerite Duras AssociationminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal association promoting the literary heritage of author Marguerite Duras who spent her youth in the area near Duras.
• Cezam Grand Sud-OuestminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLeisure voucher organization offering reduced rates for castle visits to cardholders.
• Frac Aquitaine (Fonds régional d'art contemporain)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional contemporary art collection with mutual promotional relationship.
• Evasion Sud-OuestminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional travel and tourism promotion partner.
• Petit futéminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPopular French travel guide featuring the castle in its regional listings.
• Le guide du Lot et GaronneminorGTM or Marketing PartnerRegional lifestyle and tourism guide covering the department.
• Compagnie Art'ataminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTheater company producing the 'Les Légendes de Duras' outdoor spectacle featuring medieval jousting, combat demonstrations, and acrobatics. Runs July 4-August 30, 2026 on castle grounds.
• Compagnie La Garde de la SalamandreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorical reenactment troupe providing fencing demonstrations and musketeer initiation workshops during heritage events.
• Troupe La Mesnie de BarbazanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedieval reenactment troupe for historical animations during bridge holiday periods.
• Compagnie PerBaccominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTheater company presenting 'Je donnerais n'importe quoi...' wandering theatrical performance inspired by Grimm's Tale of the Thumbling, performed inside the castle on select summer evenings.
• Compagnie Poney BicéphaleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDance troupe providing medieval and Renaissance dance animations and workshops during summer season.
• Compagnie Bric à BracminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTheater company presenting storytelling performances ('La Boîte à Contes') during Christmas holiday period.
• Entreprise La Cape NoireminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEscape game design company that created the 'La Chambre du Duc' escape game scenario.
• Sites Grimaldi de MonacocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe castle is recognized as one of the historical sites of the Grimaldi family of Monaco, linked through Louise Félicité d'Aumont who married Prince Honoré IV of Monaco in 1777. Prince Albert II visited on July 4, 2017.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Château de Beynac: Medieval 12th-century castle-museum in Dordogne/Périgord region offering self-guided and guided tours, escape games and seasonal events with panoramic valley views. Closely comparable product offering (castle heritage + interactive experiences) in an adjacent geography targeting the same family tourist segment.
• Château de Hautefort: Renovated château in Dordogne offering furnished interiors, gardens and exhibitions comparable to Duras's Mobilier national–furnished noble apartments. Similar pricing structure and family tourism target.
• Château de Bonaguil: Late-medieval fortress in Lot-et-Garonne open to visitors for guided tours and seasonal events. Same département as Duras, similar castle-museum visitor experience and rural heritage positioning.
• Château de Castelnaud: Rival medieval fortress-museum in Dordogne offering self-guided tours, exhibitions of medieval warfare and seasonal animations. Directly comparable in scale, visitor experience model, and regional positioning to Le Château de Duras.
• Château d'Azay-le-Rideau: Loire Valley Renaissance château with furnished interiors, audioguides and seasonal animations. Closely comparable product (furnished château visit + audioguide + seasonal programming) though operating in a different regional catchment.

Broad incumbents

• Château de Chambord: Iconic Loire Valley château and one of France's most-visited heritage monuments, offering self-guided tours, exhibitions and seasonal spectacles. A benchmark for château-museum scale though with materially higher visitor volumes than Duras.
• Cité de Carcassonne: UNESCO-listed medieval walled city offering rampart access, guided tours, events and seasonal programming. Comparable heritage-tourism proposition at a much larger scale and stronger international brand recognition.
• Puy du Fou: France's leading heritage-themed entertainment park in Vendée offering large-scale historical spectacles, immersive villages and multi-day itineraries. Competes for the same French family heritage-tourism wallet but at vastly greater scale, capex and operating complexity.

Emerging players

• Château de Montbrun: Smaller medieval château in Nouvelle-Aquitaine offering guided tours and limited seasonal events. Comparable in scale and rural southwestern France positioning, though with a less developed commercial offering than Duras.

Regional players

• Terraventura (Marquèze, Écomusée): Nouvelle-Aquitaine regional heritage and nature attraction offering educational workshops, family trails and seasonal events. Comparable family-educational positioning and regional tourism catchment to Duras though focused on rural traditions rather than castle heritage.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/le-ch%C3%A2teau-de-duras

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Le Château de Duras