Quite literally Beaulieu is a beautiful place on the Dordogne river with fine renaissance houses and the magnificent Romanesque abbey church of St-Pierre. It is unsurprisingly one the local Plus Beaux Villages In pre-revolutionary times the town was dominated by the ancient Benedictine Abbey of St-Pierre, although these days only the abbey church remains. Nevertheless, the church is a magnificent...
Languishing on the lower reaches of the Dordogne river where the peaceful waters head towards the Gironde, Bergerac is at the centre of the Dordogne’s tobacco fields and world famous vineyards such as Montravel and Péchermant The fascinating Old Quarter surrounds the Ancien Port on the right bank of the river and half-timbered 15th and 16th century house can be...
Known locally as plain Brive, this is one of the region’s bigger cities and the largest in the Corrèze although not actually the capital. The soubriquet ‘la Gaillarde‘, or in English ‘the Bold’ has been hard earned over the centuries by its citizens who have a reputation of holding out under siege. Located in the valley of the Corrèze river...
This wonderfully impressive Renaissance Château with pepperpot rooves possesses an architectural symmetry second to none and lies on the wooded slopes above the river Bave near St-Céré. The splendid exterior hides a sad story. Jeanne de Balsac d’Entraygues had the place built by the best artists and craftsmen in France for her son Robert who was away fighting for François...
The Bastide of Domme, often called the Acropolis of the Dordogne, is situated on a rocky escarpement above the left bank of the river. Commanding views both upstream and downstream from the Belvédère de la Barre have inspired artists such as the American writer and water-colourist Henry Miller who loved to paint views of the river. Domme was founded in...
The small town of Martel was built on the Upper or Northern Quercy causse to which it has given its name. Known as the town of the seven towers after the medieval towers which dominate the skyline. There is much of interest here including the aforementioned towers. Start at the place des Consuls where there is an 18th Century covered...
Gateway to Lascaux In recent years Montignac has became an important centre for tourism due to the nearby Lascaux Cave. Before this it was little more than a hamlet associated with the Count of Périgord’s Castle. On both banks of the river the old or ‘feudal’ town still exists. In fact, the rue de la Pègerie has many well preserved...
This ancient city, the capital of the Dordogne, was named after the Gaulish Petrocorii tribe as indeed was the Périgord itself. It is divided into two districts each defined by its main church – St Stephen’s Collégiale (St Etienne), which was the Cathedral until 1669, dominates the Cité district and the massive Byzantine inspired St Front, which is now the...
Clinging to the cliff face above the Alzou river is one of the most remarkable sites in Europe. Rocamadour was named after a local hermit who was dubbed by the locals ‘rock lover’ or ‘Roc Amator’ in Oc due to his love of the rocks amongst which he dwelled. Since the Middle Ages this has been a site of pilgrimage...
This magnificently restored Gothic and Renaissance town is situated deep in the heart of the Périgord Noir in a basin surrounded by wooded hills. Sarlat, officially Sarlat-la-Canéda, has been the location for two Hollywood films, The Duellists and Timeline. However, it is much more than a film set. Sarlat is a busy small town with a Saturday market to die for which...
Bed & Breakfast or Lunch In the heart of the medieval city on the rue de la Liberté in Sarlat Monsieur and Madame da Costa offer bed & breakfast in a charming 18th century building. Le Glacier‘s tastefully decorated and spacious rooms (min 40sq m, max 160sq m!) rooms are in keeping with the architectural character of the building and...
The delightfully named small town of St Céré is located in the Bave Valley in the east of the Quercy near the border with the Limousin and the Auvergne. The river Bave is a tributary of the Dordogne and flows into it nearby. A charming small town in its own right, St-Céré is also an excellent touring base. Julius Caesar...
The small town of Vayrac is located in the north of Quercy in the valley of the river Dordogne and its main claim to fame is that it is adjacent to the Puy d’Issolud where the Gauls had their fateful clash with the legions of Julius Caesar at the battle of Uxellodunum. A very pleasant town in its own right...
The ancient city of Cahors (pronounced Caor) can be found on a meander of the river Lot in the south of the Quercy and is famous for the so-called ‘black‘ wine produced in the Lot Valley. Through the centre runs the Boulevard Gambetta, named after perhaps its most well known citizen Léon Gambetta, with its plane trees giving such vital...
Arguably the best preserved of all the Bastides and a Plus Beau Village to boot, Monpazier was founded by King Edward I of England in 1284. Monpazier’s most important function was to control the route north to the Dordogne and south to the Agenais and this strategic importance led to its falling into French hands during the Hundred Years’ War....