The Fortress of Montaigu le Blin 5
France
Renovation
Renovation
Fixed dates
About the project
The Fortress of Montaigu le Blin 5
📝 Detailed information
🏢 About the local organisation
Inside a lovely little French village, the castle of Montaigu le Blin is an impressive medieval fortress, classified as Historical Monument. It is located on the top of a hill, overlooking the countryside. Since 2002, volunteers have been participating, every summer, to the restoration of the castle. These last years, the fortress has regained its beauty! In 2019, the volunteers started to restore the masonry of the Chambers of Lords and created a medieval vegetable garden at the foot of the tower. This year, it's your turn to live an experience back in time!
💼 What the programme involves
Participate to the protection and enhancement of this breathtaking heritage! Within the castle, you will realize various works of restoration of walls (ramparts, towers) using traditional techniques and help maintain the vegetation (clearing bushes, etc.) as well as many other varied tasks. Beyond this work, you will reflect together on sustainable development through the use of traditional techniques in the restoration of the fortress, but also in the daily life of the group. Campleaders will guide you along the project. You will also take part in the tourist activities of the site by welcoming the visitors (tourists and local inhabitants) in the castle and explain the work , show the progress you have been doing the last few weeks! Protecting this piece of heritage takes time, and a lot of energy. Come and contribute to its rebuilding !
🏠 Accommodation on site
Accommodation is under tents (2 people per tent) at the town stadium lent by the Town Hall. Tents will be provided. You will have to bring other camping material (ground sheet, sleeping bag, etc.). You, volunteer, are actor/actress of your project ! You will manage the tasks of daily life in teams (shopping, cooking, and cleaning). A rotation will be organised by the campleaders to ensure the smooth running of daily life. The objective is to gain autonomy and that everyone acts individually to allow a good collective functioning!
All together, you will think about how to work, feed everyone, have fun, get around, visit the region in the most environnementaly and human-friendly way.
A building on the field includes a kitchen room, 2 showers and 2 toilets for the group.
📍 About the location
Montaigu le Blin is located in the French Bourbonnais area, 30km North from Vichy and 90km North from Clermont-Ferrand, in the French Auvergne region. It is a countryside rich with historical heritage, which you will be able to discover by visiting a few of the numerous castles and medieval cities, by hiking, going by bike or canoeing, according to what the leading team and the weather can propose. The inhabitants of the village are used to seeing volunteers from all over the world come every summer. You will pick up bread from the innkeeper Didier, ask for eggs on a Sunday evening to Monique, the weather the next day to Jean Pascal, show your progress to Jean Louis who is passionate about the castle, you will feast with the fruits and vegetables offered by the local gardeners...and so much more!
The campleaders will prepare games and activities for the group but will also encourage you to propose and build your own activities according to your desires. Bring ideas and be creative !
The 12th and 13th of September will be full of festivities! We will celebrate the 100 years of internaitonal workcamps and organise a community volunteering project. Elected representatives, local press, local assoications along with local inhabitants, tourists, the association's voluteers and campleaders from other projects, friends and family will be invited to join and share this special moment! You will help us organise the event and will be able to show the hard work you have led during these few weeks of volunteering!
⚠️ Requirements
This project is supported by the program European Solidarity Corps for young people between 18 and 30 years. It is open to all volunteers that fit the ESC criteria. The participation to the ESC volunteering teams is subject to several principles and conditions, presented on the ESC webpage: https://europa.eu/youth/solidarity/mission_en
- Volunteers do not have to pay any fee (no sending, nor participation fee) to attend the project
- Volunteers need to enrol in the PASS, the European Solidarity Corps Portal ; “Hosting Organisation” will organise their matching in the portal with the volunteering project;
- Volunteers will receive pocket money, calculated on basis of “rate of your country” 6€/day, once they arrive on the project in France
- Volunteers will receive a financial support for their travel, according to a maximum amount established in accordance with their travel distance and upon the presentation of original tickets;
- Volunteers will have to complete a participation report, submitted online through the portal.”
ℹ️ Additional information
Pay attention that there is no wifi access on the Workcamp site, the telephone network is also quite low. However, the volunteers will be able to find a public wifi in the village. Who needs an internet during a Workcamp anyway ? The site is unfortunately not accessible to people in wheelchairs.
By participating in this workcamp you are combatting climate change (UN SDG 13 Climate Action)
Interested in this project? Create your account and apply online.
Sign in to apply📅 Available sessions
ANEC21ESC
03/09/2020 → 18/09/2020
Volunteers registered
0 / 14
♂ 0/7
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ℹ️ Key information
Age required
18–30 years old
Solidarity donation
0.00 EUR
French tax residents may be eligible for a tax reduction of up to 66% of their costs (membership, plane tickets, solidarity donation).
📍 Location
03150 Montaigu-le-Blin, France
France
🌍 Location info
Local currency
Euro Member Countries (EUR / €)
Timezone
Central European Standard Time
Local time: 22:05 (12/11/2026)
🛡️ Before you leave
✅ Features
🗣️ Languages spoken
English
French