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The very attractive village of Beynac is spread along the northern bank of the Dordogne, the village winds up the hill to the Chateau de Beynac perched above. The narrow lanes winding up through the traditional Dordogne honey-coloured buildings and streets are lovely. The highlight of Beynac is the Chateau de Beynac, set on top of a cliff, high above a bend on the Dordogne, and is well above the village. The Chateau offers magnificent views across miles of beautiful countryside, take the time and admire the surrounding scenery, it’s breathtaking.
Cahors is the Prefecture of the Lot, the regional administrative centre, and virtually the whole of Cahors is squeezed onto a small peninsula in a loop on the river Lot. One unmissable attraction in Cahors is the famous bridge, the Pont Valentré, built in the 14th Century, it is simply beautiful and is one of the most celebrated Gothic bridges in Europe. It has three towers each with large arched gateways due to its historical role as a defensive bridge. Cahors has tree-lined, wide boulevards with pavement cafes, a wide variety of shops and a very interesting museum about the Resistance. Cahors market is held on Saturdays and Wednesdays (adjacent to the Cathedral). The other reason for the fame of Cahors is its wine, the local wines are highly regarded both within France and internationally, especially the full-bodied reds. If you head West along the Lot Valley to see the vineyards which produce the wine and you may find a number of opportunities to sample a little...
Castelnaud is a splendid castle at the confluence of the Dordogne and the Céou, and has magnificent views across the surrounding countryside. Castelnaud was built in the 12th Century, and has the high drama history that you would expect, taking the side of the English during the Hundred Years War. The Chateau was a useful base for harassing the neighbourhood and generally making life miserable for the local villages. The Middle Ages were largely passed in conflict with their near neighbours at Chateau Beynac, and in fact, Castelnaud managed to change hands nine times between the French and the English, as each fought to control the region. The Chateau is fascinating both for its history, and the classical defenses which it employs, from its outer walls right through to the inner keep. Over the years the castle has been lovingly renovated by a team of expert craftsmen (artisans). Castelnaud is the most visited Chateau in South-West France - both for the Chateau itself, and for its ‘Museum of War and the Middle Ages’. The Chateau contains a collection of arms and armaments, with copies of medieval war machines and various animations of medieval life, a great day out for all the family.
Unusually among the bastide towns, Domme retains part of its original fortified walls and the gateways into the town. The ramparts are extremely thick and there remain three of the original Port ways. The small narrow streets are really lovely, lined with a mixed array of shops, houses and cottages all in the honey-coloured stone distinctive to this region. You can walk round the ramparts on the south side of the town, and there are some great views across the countryside. The tourist office and Mairie are located in the very impressive Maison du Gouverneur on the Place de la Halle. This is the main part of the town and as well as admiring the beautiful 13th Century buildings you can find the entrance to the Grottes de Domme. The caves (grottes) have been used in the past to shelter the town's inhabitants during the Hundred Years War, although some of the upper parts of the caves were only rediscovered in 1954.
Figeac is a town that you must visit when you are in the region! It is a beautiful small medieval town dating from the 9th Century, and the town still has many houses and small palaces dating from the 13th-16th Centuries, when it was an important trade centre. These include notably the impressive town centre 'Hotel de la Monnaie'. It is the overall feel of Figeac that you will find most attractive, rather than any one particular highlight. The old colombage houses, houses with first floor balconies, and narrow streets lined with ancient cottages and ornate carvings form a lovely ensemble. The Museum of Ecriture in Figeac (Musee Champollion) is also very interesting, and looks at writing across the centuries, including an explanation of how the writing on the Rosetta Stone was unravelled.
Gourdon is a lively, attractive, historic market town of honey coloured stone, built on the crown of a large hill. The town can be seen for miles around, if you climb to the very top of Gourdon (look for the flags/flag poles) you will find a ‘Table of Orientation’ allowing you a near 360º view which allows you to identify the surrounding sites and enjoy the splendid views. Just below is the imposing St Pierre‘s church. Below again and you have a warren of little streets with medieval houses and some beautiful and interesting shops and restaurants, with markets held every Tuesday & Saturday mornings. Festivals & events are also numerous throughout the year, including nightime markets and summer fêtes. The region, and Gourdon in particular, is well known for its Foie Gras with large producers like Godard and Valette having shops locally, however, as you drive around keep an eye out for signs advertising small high quality independent Foie Gras producers, such as Thocaven (Dominique) based in Le Vigan. Historically Gourdon was once an important town and at one time had four monasteries. The town was given by Count Raymond I of Toulouse to the Gourdon family in 961, but the family were nearly wiped out in 1189 by Richard the Lionheart. Rumour has it that the Gourdon family were avenged by a surviving son who fatally shot Richard in the shoulder at the siege of Chalus. Gourdon is set in attractive countryside, and there are numerous small villages to discover nearby. Often without major highlights, but each with its own charm and personality, located in particularly attractive surroundings, or with lovely views across the Lot countryside.
Gramat now forms the third corner of the Rocamadour-Padirac-Gramat region which contains several attractions, both of historic interest and more recent man-made features. The town centre of Gramat is pleasant rather than exciting. There are a sprinkling of interesting things to note as you explore, chief among them is the 16th Century clock tower, and the old town towards the river and around Rue St Roch. There are also some other medieval houses, some with attractive decoration and some half-timbered, to discover, and some 19th Century townhouses around the town central square (the central market hall also dates from the 19th Century). Perhaps the big attraction in Gramat - certainly for the children but also for adults - is the animal park. The Parc Animalier covers a large area of 40 hectares, and has animals as diverse as bison and ducks, wolves and vultures - and numerous domestic animals living in semi-wild conditions, as well as protected plant species. Many of the animals you see are now protected species and the animal park has an important role in their protection. Allow at least half a day to fully appreciate the Parc. Comfortable footwear is a must.
In a stunning position on the north bank of the Dordogne, and backed by a steep hill / cliffs, with little to suggest that much has changed there in the last 300 years, La Roque-Gageac is truly the perfect picture postcard village. The golden yellow houses with their traditional perigordian roofs line the river and spread up the hill behind. There is a troglodyte fort set in the cliffs 40 metres above La Roque-Gageac which is fascinating, and significant vestiges of the 12th Century construction are still standing. That's the good news, the bad news is, it needs a car park bigger than the village to contain the tourists, but that shouldn’t deter you from visiting La Roque-Gageac, because it really is a very beautiful village.
These internationally renowned caves are situated about 30km north of Sarlat. Sometimes pre-historic paintings and the fact that you can only visit a replica site puts people off. However, it comes with the highest recommendation. The replication is meticulous and the paintings are absolutely gorgeous and have a level of sophistication making it hard to believe they were painted by pre-historic man. The colours of the walls are absolutely gorgeous, deep red, rich ochre and black being the dominant tints. The pictures are beautifully painted and show a sense of perspective and movement. The paintings are almost all of animals. In Lascaux there are hundreds of animals but only one man. There are no paintings of flowers, trees or countryside. The visit to the Lascaux caves is a guided visit and the guides are very knowledgeable and interesting. The first part of the visit is into a sort of mini museum in the 'rock' and in here the guide describes the location and history of the caves, the methods and pigments used by pre-historic man to paint the caves and the methods used by modern man to recreate them. In the re-creation each ripple of the rock has been reproduced in order to fully appreciate the beauty and skill of the paintings and engravings. The natural shape of the rock has often been used as part of the pictures. The caves were discovered in 1940 by Marcel Ravidat and his dog, Robo. After discovering the entrance he and three friends (Georges Agniel, Simon Coencas and Jacques Marsal) forced their way into the caves and discovered the treasures of Lascaux. They told their teacher, who became the caves first curator, and soon after Father Henri Breuil, a pre-history expert, arrived on the scene. The caves were opened to the public after the Second World War in 1948, with Marcel Ravidat as one of the guides. The cave was closed in 1963 as exposure to air and enormous numbers of viewers led to first a risk from a green mould and later to a risk from calcium deposits covering the paintings. In 1980 the ‘bulls’ chamber, the main chamber in the Lascaux caves was meticulously re-created and it is this that is now open to the public. The Lascaux Caves became a Unesco World Heritage Site in 1979.
Martel is a beautiful town situated near the river Dordogne. It has a distinctive skyline as this small town contains seven large towers. Once the capital of the Viscount of Turenne the town and its buildings are steeped in history. The town developed because of its prime location on the intersection of trading routes between Paris and Toulouse in one direction and a key route from East to West for the trade in salt and wine. It is also close to Rocamadour and was an important resting place for pilgrims. The 13th Century brought wealth to the town and many merchants houses were built within the defensive walls of the town. As the Hundred Years War threatened, the war led to the building of a second defensive wall to protect the town. The town recovered quickly from the war and the 15th Century saw another period of affluence for the town. Amble round Martel and there are beautiful houses and interesting architectural details around every corner. The Chemin de Fer Touristique du Haut Quercy is a 1 hour journey on a Steam Train taking a tour of the beautiful countryside in the hills above Martel. Catch the train in Martel. In addition, nearby you can visit Reptiland which is home to the biggest collection of reptiles in France, and finally, for those seeking something more peaceful, there is Les Orchidées de Vincent which has over 35 varieties of epiphytic orchids available depending on the season and reservations.
Cross the eastern border of the Dordogne region into the Lot, and you will find the Gouffre de Padirac. The enormous chasm at Padirac is about 99 metres around the rim, and you will descend 75 metres to enter the cave system. After the initial descent, you get in a boat for an eerie trip along a subterranean stream, and then pass through various underground caverns full of extraordinary rock formations. Having experienced the caves themselves you can take a look at Satan’s footprint, left when he was trying to evade Saint Martin! The caves at Padirac are not far from Rocamadour and easy to combine the two in the same trip.
Each year the small village of Rocamadour (population appox 600), receives more than a million visitors. Firstly, because Rocamadour is an important pilgrimage destination, and has been for 1000 years. Rocamadour has been built around the shrine to the famous Black Madonna, the shrine became famous for its healing powers, and soon became a stop on the pilgrimage path to Santiago de Compostela. The second reason is because of the beautiful and dramatic setting of the village, the village almost seems to cling to the cliff face, with stunning views and with the famous Rocamadour eagles soaring overhead. Rocamadour should not be missed.
Positioned on the River Bave, a minor tributary of the Dordogne, the medieval town of Saint Céré, is dominated by the brooding ruins of the Château de St-Laurent-les-Tours, Saint Céré is full of ancient houses crowding around place du Mercadial. The two powerful keeps of St-Laurent, partially rebuilt, date from the 12th and 15th Centuries and were part of a fortress belonging to the Turennes. During World War II, the artist Jean Lurçat operated a secret Resistance radio post here, and after the war he turned it into a studio, it's now a marvellous museum of his work, mainly huge tapestries but also sketches, paintings and pottery. Saint Céré has a country-side rich in historic castles and fortified villages, several of which are officially designated as being the most beautiful in France - Les Plus Beaux Villages de France.
Saint Cirq-Lapopie, in its stunning position perched over the Lot River, is generally considered to be one of the most beautiful of the 'most beautiful villages of France’. Saint Cirq-Lapopie is in the 'Parc naturel régional des Causses du Quercy'. At the top of a cliff 80 metres above the Lot River, the town is accessed through great stone gates in the fortified walls, and has the remains of three Chateaux, and a fine 15th Century roman-style church (four feudal dynasties lived here in the middle ages, hence all the Chateaux!). The narrow cobbled streets of Saint Cirq-Lapopie contain a lovely mixture of medieval houses - some in colombage (half-timbered) and some in stone, with small terraced gardens adding to the beauty of the place. Below the village, next to the river, are an assortment of old mills and buildings testifying to the activity of the village in centuries gone by. Nowadays Saint Cirq-Lapopie is home to numerous artists and artisans, a trend started perhaps when Andre Breton made his home here and declared that he had, as a consequence, 'stopped wanting to go anywhere else". The village lies on one of the pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostelle that cross France, and also played an important role in the Albigensian crusades, the Hundred Years War and the Wars of religion. Also nearby are the prehistoric caves of Pech-Merle discovered in 1922, with evidence of human occupation going back 20,000 years.
Sarlat is the most famous town in the region and one of the most renown (and most visited) towns in France. It is also one of the most attractive. Destined to be besieged by tourists at almost all times of the year Sarlat is a beautiful, well restored town a few kilometres north of the Dordogne. The old town, dating from both medieval and renaissance times is a pleasure to visit. You will soon become lost in the maze of narrow lanes, but don't worry, it's a small compact town, and sooner or later you will emerge into the light and find your way again. With probably the best market in the region on Saturday’s, and a vast array of high quality shops and restaurants, Sarlat is a must, however, a word of advice, if you are planning to visit Sarlat, especially on a Saturday, get there early. Sarlat gets very busy and trying to find somewhere to park can be, how can I put it ........somewhat challenging!
My sincere thanks to the team at North of the Dordogne.com for allowing me to use, lift, copy and occasionally alter their excellent descriptions of the towns and villages within the Lot & Dordogne. I would also like to thank Carole Paquis - French Translator for turning my adequate English into perfect French. |
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