Sarlat and the Dordogne Valley

Medieval Golden Stone Town Of Sarlat And The Castle Lined Dordogne Valley, With La Roque Gageac, Beynac And Castelnaud · Sarlat-la-Caneda, Nouvelle-Aquitaine

Sarlat-la-Canéda is a small market town in the Périgord Noir, in south west France, whose old centre of honey-coloured stone houses, stone-slab roofs, lanes and squares has survived almost intact from the late Middle Ages and the Renaissance. It is one of the most complete old towns in France, and it is often used as a film set. A few kilometres south, the river Dordogne winds through a valley lined with cliffs and castles. Beynac and Castelnaud face each other from opposite heights, rivals during the Hundred Years War; La Roque-Gageac is built against a cliff face along the water; Domme is a walled hilltop town with a wide view; and the hanging gardens of Marqueyssac sit on a ridge above the river. The region is known for food: duck and foie gras, walnuts, black truffles in winter, and a large Saturday market in Sarlat. Canoeing down the river past the castles is the classic summer day out. In July and August the narrow roads and lanes fill up, so spring and autumn are much calmer. The Lascaux caves are nearby and have their own row.

Sarlat-la-Canéda and the Dordogne valley villages, Dordogne, Sarlat-la-Caneda, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France

Sarlat's old town is open streets, free and always accessible, but the rhythm of the area depends on markets and seasons. The big market fills the old centre on Saturday, mostly in the morning with some stalls lasting longer, and a smaller market runs on Wednesday morning; the covered market in the old church runs most mornings (confirm the days). In winter there is a truffle market on Saturday mornings, roughly December to February. The castles of Beynac and Castelnaud, the gardens of Marqueyssac and the other valley sites open all year or most of it, with long daily hours in summer and shorter hours in winter, and a few close for part of the winter; some have evening openings in summer, such as candlelit gardens on certain nights (confirm). Canoe hire and gabarre boat trips are seasonal, running mainly from spring to early autumn, and stop when the river is high. Many restaurants and hotels in the valley villages close from about November to March, while Sarlat itself stays open with fewer choices. In July and August car parks fill by mid-morning.

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