The Black Périgord

Map of the Black Perigord

Sarlat

Sarlat-la-Canéda, one of the most charming old fortified towns in France, in the heart of the Périgord Noir, can be visited on foot. No construction prior to the Romanesque period is visible, only the 12th and 13th centuries have left their traces in the medieval city.

The city originated with the monastery built in the 9th century. In the 12th century, its religious activity allowed it to reach dimensions comparable to those of Périgueux or Bergerac.

Sarlat seduces with the mere sight of its slate roofs. Walking through its alleys is like reading nearly a thousand years of authentic architecture where the warm blond stone of the Périgord Noir predominates.

The exceptional heritage of this European city can be visited all year round. Guided tours are offered by the Sarlat Tourist Office (Rue Tourny in Sarlat, Guided Tours Service on 05 53 31 45 42).

Coming to Sarlat means discovering a nature that, in the off-season, reveals its generosity even better. In addition to the exceptional architectural heritage, you can savor its gastronomy and appreciate its cultural festivities. Indeed, the prestigious setting of the city gives a particular emotion to those who come to participate in the Festival des Jeux du Théâtre (July August), the Sarlat Film Festival (November), the great Painting exhibition (June to September) and the various shows and activities of the Cultural and Congress Center (all year round).

Sarlat is opening up to the future: traditional economies and new technologies are developing in a protected environment. In addition, major efforts are being made to enhance the heritage: paving of streets, natural gas lighting, development of the pedestrian zone, ease of movement for people with reduced mobility. Everything is done to better appreciate the prestigious setting of the medieval city.

For your information: in July/August, the Sarlat Tourist Office is open non-stop from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. on weekdays and on Sundays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. and from 2 p.m. to 6 p.m.

Click here to see the best sports in the Dordogne

Belvès

A medieval town with 7 bell towers, Belvès is located on a rocky spur overlooking the Nauze Valley. Occupied since prehistoric times, Belvès and its surroundings are full of historical and archaeological remains:

• 12th century belfry;
• 11th century castrum;
• 14th century hall and pillory;
• Troglodyte sites located under the Place de la Halle in which shards of pottery from the 16th, 17th and 18th centuries have been found.

Beynac

On the banks of the Dordogne, classified as one of the most beautiful villages in France with a medieval town, with houses clinging to the cliff, dominated by its fortress with its old streets and small squares paved in the old style.

On the program: boat trip on the river, canoeing, hiking on the footpaths.
Places to visit: Beynac Castle, “The First Peasants” museum, the archaeological park, Cazenac church.

Guided tours of the village are organized in high season. Information from the guided tours department of the Sarlat Périgord Noir Tourist Office.

lady

On a steep promontory, the fortified town of Domme overlooks one of the most harmonious landscapes in the Dordogne valley.

Founded by Philip the Bold in 1283, it has the shape of a trapezoid. The fortifications that surround it have been adapted in their layout to the needs of the terrain.

Inside, the streets follow a geometric plan . The houses with sloping roofs covered with tiles, built in ochre stone, are decorated with balconies and flowery exterior staircases.

From the promontory of Domme, view of the Dordogne valley from the Montfort cingle to the East, to Beynac to the West.

the roque gageac

Nestled against a cliff overlooking the Dordogne valley, the village of La Roque- Gageac is one of  the most beautiful in this part of the valley. It is also classified as one of the most beautiful villages in France.

Its picturesque alleys lead to the church built on the rock.

From the rock, view of the Dordogne which flows between fields and meadows.

Guided tours of the village are organized in high season. Information from the guided tours department of the Sarlat Périgord Noir Tourist Office.

Les Eyzies

At the confluence of the Vézère and the Beune, the town of Les Eyzies occupies a pleasant site in a setting of crowned cliffs.

This world center of prehistory is known for its abundance of archaeological riches.

A prehistoric man welcomes you, a heavy stone giant imagined by the sculptor Dardé in 1930.

From the terrace of the castle, it dominates the "capital of prehistory". This green valley with its capricious layout, these high overhanging cliffs, grey and ochre, the very location of the village nestled at their foot, were the setting chosen by man, from the dawn of time.

The caves, the canopies, the flat areas of the rock were suitable for the construction of dwellings; the evidence of primitive life is more numerous and more apparent here than in any other region and, above all, it extends continuously from 400,000 years ago (lower layer of the Micoque), to the Gallo-Romans (Laugerie-Basse) and the Early Medieval (La Roque-Saint-Christophe and La Madeleine), including Neanderthal man (Le Moustier, - 50,000 years ago) and the Cro-Magnon artists (Lascaux, Font-de-Gaume, 15,000 years ago).

Montignac

The city is world-famous for the very famous “ Lascaux Cave ”. Today, only its facsimile can be visited. It is the gateway to the Vézère Valley “ Valley of Man ” and its many sites and the starting point for canoe-kayak excursions.

A few steps from the famous Lascaux Cave , discover the prehistoric site of Régourdou, a site classified as a historical monument containing the oldest human burial in Western Europe dating back to 90,000 years BC and its park of living brown bears.

Annual event: Black Périgord Festival.

Terrasson

At the crossroads of three provinces, crossed by the RN 89 and bathed by the Vézère, Terrasson, which is located at the entrance to the Périgord Noir and on the borders of Limousin and Quercy, has a definite tourist vocation. Its constantly improving reception possibilities, the extent and diversity of the distractions offered to tourists (stadium, tennis, festivals, concerts), make it both an ideal stopover between the mountains of Auvergne and the Atlantic coast and, at the threshold of the Prehistoric Vézère, a particularly popular holiday center.

The old town surrounds the imposing mass of the church with a string of grey roofs, which seem to jealously shelter small alleys or picturesque staircases that climb the hill.

From the ramparts of the ancient abbey, a magnificent panorama is offered to the eyes of the visitor who dominates the Vézère, its two bridges and the new, pretty and lively districts. To the north, the green hills announce the nearby Limousin, land of springs and woods, while the sparse vegetation of the southern hillsides already indicates the rugged Quercy.

From this landscape, warm in colors, emerges an impression of calm and balance that calls for contemplation and exalts the imagination. From 1994, the beauty will be enhanced by the gardens of Terrasson la Villedieu “ the Gardens of the Imagination ”, a vast contemporary garden of 6 hectares, to visit which evokes the history of the gardens of humanity. Do not miss discovering this unique place, conducive to discovery and reverie.

city-franche-du-perigord

Villefranche-du-Périgord is a bastide town in the Périgord located in the south of the department. This bastide, with its beautiful stone buildings, was founded in 1261 by Alphonse de Poitiers.

Discover its grain market, which is lively on Saturday mornings. The Gothic arcades are home to a few restaurants, its Notre-Dame church and its unusual façade.

Chestnut country, this fruit is of course featured in all dishes and in the streets of the village. Stroll through the alleys and admire the tempting windows that offer many local products.

The Tourist Office invites you to discover Villefranche-du-Périgord through various visits during the summer period: gourmet walks and tastings will delight you.