Rocamadour is a delightful village perched precariously on a limestone cliff. You can visit L’Eglise de Sainte-Catherine with its black virgin, the Chapelle Saint Martin which bears witness to the fact that Aquitaine was once under English rule and walk through the Marquisat gate which spans one of the narrow cobbled streets. As a prehistoric site, its rocky terraces overlooked the rivers making it an important defensive position. It occupies a unique position on the confluence of the Dordogne and Vézère rivers and is a great spot for canoeing and swimming. Limeuil is one of the prettiest villages in France. The view from Beynac is well worth the climb up from the village. The river formed the dividing line between the French and English armies during the Hundred Years War, with the French holding the highly fortified feudal fortress on the cliff top at Beynac, and the English, the gloriously situated 12th century castle at Castelnaud directly opposite. The first finds were made here during the 19th century and further research uncovered 15,000 year old human remains and stunning cave paintings, drawings and carvings.īeynac is unique because its fortress was built beneath a rock overhang halfway up a cliff and houses the Musée National de Préhistoire. It occupies a pleasant position surrounded by green-topped cliffs, at the confluence of the Beune and the Vézère. Lez Eyzies-de-Tayac is one of the leading world centres of prehistory, the number of its archeological findings making it unique. The layout of the town lends itself to street entertainment and shows in July and August.
Today the protected town centre offers remarkable architecture like the Maison de la Boetie, the cathedral, la Chapelle des Pénitents Blancs and la Lanterne des Morts. Much of its charm lies in its narrow streets, secluded courtyards and old buildings, in particular the materials used to construct them: yellow ochre building stone, white limestone roof tiles or thick grey slates from the Corrèze. Sarlat-la-Canéda situated in the heart of this region evokes the past when it was once the home of merchants, scholars, clerks and law students. This is the most popular region of the Dordogne as its wealth of caves offers a veritable valley of prehistory and there is a magnificent variety of châteaux to visit, dating from the 12th to 17th century. The south-east of the department is called the Périgord Noir because of the chestnut tree coppices and the everlasting leaves of the holm-oak trees which form a black carpet in winter.
The magnificent 12th century towers of the Châteaux de Marthorie dominate the main square of the village.Ĭhâteau de Puyguilhem in Villars built at the beginning of the 16th century is undoubtedly the most beautiful of the Renaissance châteaux in the Périgord, very original and full of fine sculptures.Ĭhâteau de Jumilhac a combination of 15th and 17th century architecture which overlooks the Isle valley near a Romanesque church and is a mass of imposing slate rooves, sharp pointed turrets and watch towers. Jean de Cole is a picturesque medieval village much chosen as a location for historical films. The Benedictine Abbey founded by Charlemagne in 769 bears the marks of its repeated destruction over more than twelve centuries. It was once a medieval fortress which fell during the French Revolution to leave only the attractive ramparts and old streets.īrantôme known as the green Venice of the Périgord is one of the département’s leading tourist and cultural centres situated on the banks of the Dronne river. Nontron is situated on the tip of a promontory overlooking the gorges of Bandiat.
It has streets full of Renaissance houses and a lovely cathedral. The Tour de Vesone in the town, 25 metres high, is a rare example of a round temple, and you can see where the amphitheatre used to stand in the Arena Gardens. Périgueux is the chief town situated along the Isle valley.