DOMME
Set on a dramatically steep promontory high above the River Dordogne, the unusual trapezium shaped walled village of Domme is one of the most famous bastides in the region. It’s one of the few to have retained most of its 13th-century ramparts, including three fortified gates: porte de la Combe. A one-time base for the Knights Templars (whose religious graffiti can still be seen in the towers by porte des tours, where they were imprisoned in 1307), it was fought over and besieged frequently during the Hundred Years’ War and Wars of Religion. The village is so picturesque it has become very touristy and commercialised, but you can’t beat its stunning panoramas of the River Dordogne and its valley.
INFORMATION
There are two main entrances – southern porte del Bos (the D46/D50 approach from Cenac) or eastern porte des Tours (D46E from Sarlat). At the top of the village’s main street, Grand’Rue, is the central market place, place de la Halle, and the tourist office (Tel: 05 53 31 71 00, Fax: 05 53 31 71 09). It opens 10am to noon and 2pm to 6pm daily (10am to 7pm daily in July and August). It’s closed during January. Car parking inside the walls is metered. There’s a free parking lot just outside porte des Tours.
THINGS TO SEE AND DO
The best views are a few steps from place de Halle, from from the cliff-side Esplanade du Belvedere and the adjacent Promenade de la Barre, which streetches west along the forested slope to the Jardin Public. The preciptious bluff below was, amazingly, scaled by Huguenot besiegers during the Wars of Religion, one of the few times the bastide was captured.
Across from the tourist office, the 19th century reconstruction of the 16th century halles ( covered market ) houses the entrance to the grottes ( caves; 0553317100 ) 450 m of stalactite-filled galleries underneath the village that gave the inhabitants a handy refuge during times of attack.
On the far side of the square from the tourist office, the Musee d’ Arts et de Traditions Populaires (0553317100 ) has 9 rooms of clothing, toys, tools and other memorabilia from the past.
Several canoe operators are based in Cenac including Randonee Dordogne.
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La Roque Gageac, a magnificent village officially classified as one of the most beautiful in France.
Tucked away in a stunning position on the north bank of the Dordogne River, and backed by steep 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 site has been inhabited since prehistoric times, as witness the many flint axe-heads and other stone tools found in its fields and gardens.
During the Gallo-Roman period the quieter life under the “Pax Romana” encouraged people to set up quite sizeable settlements on the gentler slopes to the east of the village, and even to lay a Roman road. But from the year 850 onwards, the dangers presented by the incursions of Viking longboats, in particular, led the populace to seek shelter and build fortifications on the safest site, between cliff and river.
The Hundred Years War, and then France’s bitter “Wars of Religion”, turned La Roque Gageac into a key stronghold, impregnable and densely populated
Most of its present buildings date from this period, together with its troglodytic forts in the cliff-face (which can be visited) and vestiges of the former summer palaces of the Bishops of Sarlat. The Renaissance period saw the construction of some beautiful homes, such as the Manoir de Tarde, the manor-house of the Tarde family, which dominates the heart of the village to this day.
River traffic became increasingly important, with a very busy flow of cargo-carrying.
“gabares” (the Dordogne’s traditional flat-bottomed boats), as well as abundant commercial fishing, which continued right up to the beginning of the 20th century.
The village’s situation turns it virtually into a large natural solarium, and this has made possible the creation of extraordinary “exotic gardens”, alongside the church, halfway up the cliff, with luxuriant sub-tropical and Mediterranean plants.
You will find the warmest of welcomes from La Roque-Gageac and its inhabitants, known as the “Laroquois”, as well as wonderful gastronomic experiences in a region famed for its fine food.
The Château de Beynac is a castle situated in the commune of Beynac-et-Cazenac, in the Dordogne département of France. The castle is one of the best preserved and most well-known in the region.
This Middle Ages construction, with its austere appearance, is perched on top of a limestone cliff, dominating the town and the north bank of the Dordogne River.
HISTORY
The castle was built from the 12th century by the barons of Beynac (one of the four baronies of Périgord) to close the valley. The sheer cliff face being sufficient to discourage any assault from that side, the defences were built up on the plateau: double crenellated walls, double moats, one of which was a deepened natural ravine, double barbican.
The oldest part of the castle is a large, square-shaped, Romanesque keep with vertical sides and few openings, held together with attached watch towers and equipped with a narrow spiral staircase terminating on a crenellated terrace. To one side, a residence of the same period is attached; it was remodelled and enlarged in the 16th and 17th centuries. On the other side is a partly 14th century residence side-by-side with a courtyard and a square plan staircase serving the 17th century apartments. The apartments have kept their woodwork and a painted ceiling from the 17th century. The Salle des États (States’ Hall) has a Renaissance sculptured fireplace and leads into a small oratory entirely covered with 15th century frescoes, included a Pietà, a Saint Christopher, and a Last Supper in which Saint Martial (first bishop of Limoges) is the maître d’hôtel.
At the time of the Hundred Years’ War, the fortress at Beynac was in French hands. The Dordogne was the border between France and England. Not far away, on the opposite bank of the river, the Château de Castelnau was held by the English. The Dordogne region was the theatre of numerous struggles for influence, rivalries and occasionally battles between the English and French supporters. However, the castles fell more often through ruse and intrigue rather than by direct assault, because the armies needed to take these castles were extremely costly: only the richest nobles and kings could procure them.
The castle was bought in 1962 by Lucien Grosso who has lovingly restored it.
Visitors to the castle can see sumptuous tapestries showing hunting and other scenes from the lives of the lords of the period. The Château de Beynac has been listed as a monument historique by the French Ministry of Culture since 1944.
Beynac castle has served as a location for several films, including Les Visiteurs by Jean-Marie Poiré, in 1993, La Fille de d’Artagnan by Bertrand Tavernier, in 1994, Ever After by Andy Tennant, in 1998, and Jeanne d’Arc by Luc Besson, in 1999. The village of Beynac below the chateau, also served as a location for the film Chocolat by Lasse Hallström, in 2000.
Barons de Beynac
Castle of Castelnaud
Perched with hillside on left bank of the Dordogne, Castelnaud dominates the small borough coiled with its feet. Its former owners, vassal of kings of England, opposed a long time to their neighbors, the lords de Beynac, faithful to kings de France. If the protagonists of these remote quarrels have all disappeared, the two fortresses always continue their immutable face to face, like a mineral challenge with the lapse of memory and the ravages of time.
History
English Castelnaud After the Treaty of Paris, signed in 1259 by Saint Louis and Henry III, which put an end to the dispute between the Capetians and the Plantagenets, the Perigord was restored to the English. Castelnaud thus fell under English rule. In 1273 the castle reverted back to the legitimate feudal line, that of the Castelnauds, who gave tribute to the Count of Perigord, vassal of the king of France.The power of a FortressFor Castelnaud, the end of the 13th century heralded in a period of prosperity and relative calm. The castle established itself as one of the principle powers of the Perigord. The barons of Beynac during this epoch were semi-permanently in conflict with the lords of Castelnaud. Continuously the two rival houses contested control of the region, trailing after them a section of the Perigord nobility divided by the two camps. The two castles watched and spied on each other. Never, however, did an open battle occur. In 1317 the Pope himself intervened to prevent the worst from happening; Jean XXII authorized a marriage between the two families to try and put an end to the endemic conflict. This context of private feud, so common in the Middle Ages, was soon relegated to a position of secondary importance: in 1337 the Hundred Years’ War broke out.
The Hundred Years’ War
The first few decades of the war were favorable to the English. In 1346 at Crecy, the cream of French nobility was decimated by English archers. In 1356, King John the Good was taken prisoner at Poitiers. The Treaty of Bretigny-Calais freed the king but ceded Aquitaine to the English, which was from then on ruled by the formidable Black Prince.In 1368, Magne de Castelnaud, sole heiress of Castelnaud, married Nompar de Caumont. This was a major event for Castelnaud, as the Caumonts would subsequently continue to be proprietors of the castle until the Revolution. During the War, the Caumonts were often in the English camp. Henry IV, King of England, named Nompar de Caumont his seneschal for Agen.
State of SiegeIn 1442, tired of the English hold on Castelnaud, the King of France ordered the town put under siege. The siege lasted three weeks. The English commander ended it by giving the keys to the castle and 400 crowns for his life. Thus the English were finally driven from Castelnaud. They left French soil after the battle of Castillon (1452) which marked the end of the Hundred Year’s War.
Pleasure Residence After a century black with wars, epidemics and hardships, a great period of prosperity unfolded for Castelnaud.
The castle’s reconstruction was begun by Brandelis de Caumont and followed by his son François and his grandson Charles. The old 13th century fortress took on a look that conformed more to the style of the times. François de Caumont, besides enlarging Castelnaud, built a pleasant Renaissance-style manor not far from Castelnaud: Milandes Castle.
Castelnaud, which no longer had a strategic purpose, became a pleasure residence. It was fortified because of its prestigious function as the center of power of the domain.
The imposing artillery tower, built around 1520, had no function other than that of a symbol of power.
The Huguenot Captain
A new chapter in the history of Castelnaud opened with the Huguenot Captain Geoffroy de Vivans. Soldier, companion of the future Henry IV, his life was punctuated by audacious actions which earned him a great reputation in the country. Geoffroy the warrior was feared throughout the Perigord, a reputation which assured that Castelnaud was never disturbed during the Wars of Religion.
Ruins and renaissanceBetween the exploits of Captain Vivans and the 20th century, the castle did not live through any other remarkable events. The Caumont lords preferred Milandes first, then their castle of the Force near Bergerac. The condition of Castelnaud continued to deteriorate until it was completely abandoned. After the Revolution the deterioration accelerated. Soon the castle served as no more than a stone quarry.1969 / 1998 : The Renaissance of CastelnaudIn 1966, Castelnaud Castle was classed as an Historic Monument. Since then, it has undergone two periods of extensive restoration: between 1974-1980 and from 1996-1998. Certain parts of the castle which had collapsed were reconstructed, other parts were only consolidated due to the lack of information regarding their original state.
At the confluence of the Dordogne and Vezere Rivers, Limeuil offers canoeing and a river beach, and a pretty little village that is well worth exploring.
The village is still partly surrounded by its original fortified walls, and is another of the ‘picture postcard pretty’ villages of the Dordogne, with cobbled streets winding between honey-coloured houses and pretty gardens.
Despite its picturesque location it is not usually completely overrun with tourists in the way that some places are, and the Parc Limeuil at the top of the town, while not spectacular as a park, has some fine views and is usually quiet.
A very pleasant place to escape the crowds.
A short stroll around the village gives a taste of the diversity on offer; at the foot of the two magnificent bridges, built in 1891, a sandy beach leads down into the clear water. A little further along, the 15th century port entrance which leads up to an extremely steep street is carved with the water levels reached during the great floods.
Getting to the top of the village is hard, but rewarding, work – take the time to study the medieval architecture on the way up. At the Place des Fossés, the château gardens provide a wonderful view over the river confluence, the rooftops and terraced gardens. The black Virgin Mary in St Catherine’s Church was the patron saint of the river traders.
The visitor can go from the blacksmith, to the glass-blower. Limeuil enjoys many sporting activities including canoeing, horse riding and mountain-biking. The holiday-maker will find plenty of welcoming hotels, restaurants and campsites.
Evidence of the period when Aquitaine was English can be found on the Bugue road leading out of the village: St Martin’s Chapel was built in 1194 to expiate the murder of the Archbishop of Canterbury, St Thomas à Becket
A Brief History
The site of Limeuil has been lived on since prehistoric times (various artefacts dating from approximately 10,000 BC have been found). Limeuil, listed as « One of the Most Beautiful Villages of France », is essentially a medieval village as the three fortified gateways and ruins of the castle and ramparts testify.
What to See
On the edge of the village is a museum garden where different plants and methods of cultivation take the visitor a journey through time from the Stone Age to the Renaissance period.
The natural beauty spot formed by the bend in the river offers a superb view.
Sarlat the geographical centre of Périgord-Quercy, is by far the most important tourist site in the region Over a million visitors discover or re discover this medieval jewel every year. This town of l0,000 inhabitants today occupies top spot in terms of tourists and culture. Although this is basically a cultural town, industry is also represented, mainly by food processing firms, many of which produce foie gras. This foie gras, one of the most highly rated in France has contributed to the great culinary reputation of the Périgord in general and the town in particular.
Although it has one of the largest medieval urban areas (13th to 16th centuries) in the world, Sarlat cannot claim a very distant past. The initial Sarlat abbey was most probably founded between 820 and 840 AD by Duke Pepin of Aquitaine. Saint Bernard stopped off in Sarlat in 1147 during his journey through the South of France to spread the gospel to the many Cathars. The plague was predominant at the time. He gave the sick consecrated bread to eat and healed them. This event, this miracle even was commemorated by the building of the strange graveyard lantern which, still today, remains one of the towns symbols.
Lost in the heart of the distant Périgord, Sarlat could have sunk into oblivion if it was not for the Malraux Act of 4th August 1962. Perhaps the minister of culture (Andre Malraux) recalled having taken to the macquis (The name given to some French Resistance groups during World War Two) in the heart of the Sarlat woodlands, when he signed the act of renovation and restoration. The works carried out from 1964 onward have revealed a veritable treasure trove of Medieval and Renaissance art to the public. Tourists and film directors then took charge of bringing this corner of the Earth “which is the closest things to heaven” according to Henry Miller, to the attention of the whole world. The 1978 film version of “Les Miserable” was filmed extensively in Sarlat, but also in nearby Domme, with the stunning Beynac Castle standing in for the famous Toulon Jail. Sarlat’s wonderful architecture and medieval style buildings and stone roofs have made a backdrop for a score of other top motion pictures since, which has added to it’s fame an it’s fortune.
A warren of alleyways, virtually unchanged since the middle ages, lined with warm ochre stone houses, each with its own distinctive facade and ornately sculptured window embrasures, set off by the stone roofs and turrets, make Sarlat a must for any tourist visiting the Dordogne. Sarlat’s Saturday market is excellent, teaming with life, an unforgetable experience from the street artists that throng there, to the wonderful fresh local produce. Sarlat comes to life in summer with its Drama Festival and Film Festival as well as non-stop street shows in the old quarter. Sarlat is an artists paradise with many small galeries including the famous “Herdin”, student of Salvador Dali. Out of season there is also a well packed programme of cultural events, concerts, drama, films (often in the original language), a visit at Christmas is like stepping into a Fairy Tale, with piped christmas carols and Santas scaling buildings everywhere, there truly is something for everyone.
Sarlat Tourist Office
3 Rue Tourny – BP 114
F-24203 Sarlat Cedex
Tél. 33 (0) 5.53.31.45.45
Fax. 33 (0) 5.53.59.19.44
Web http://www.-sarlat-tourisme.com
Email info@sarlat-tourisme.com
⇒To contact the services (direct phone line and e-mail)
General information – 33 (0) 5 53 31 45 45 – info
Holiday rentals booking service – 33 (0) 5 53 31 45 40 – locations
Individual packages booking service – 33 (0) 5 53 31 45 43 – sejoursindividuels
Group packages (seminars..) booking service – 33 (0) 5 53 31 45 42 – sejoursgroupes
Guided tours of the Medieval city ,conferences – 33 (0) 5 53 31 45 42 – visitesguidees
Walking paths – 33 (0) 5 53 31 45 45 – rando
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