Charming stone cottage with a spectacular view of a medieval castle. Swimming, canoeing, tennis,…read morebiking, randonee, hiking and golf all close by. Weekly rentals so you'll have time for it all. Sarlat, the medieval jewel of the Dordogne is 3 kms. Check it out thru the Office du Tourism Sarlat... "montfort" ref 20007. They speak english as well as french.

The City of Sarlat is one of the most endearing, charming, historic, and magical places I have ever…read morevisited. The amount of history surrounding this entire area of Southwest France is unparalleled to begin with, and Sarlat-la-Caneda contributes a very large portion to this magical setting. It is a medieval town that was established mainly due to the Benedictine abbey of Carolingian origin. The Sarlat Cathedral is dedicated to Saint Sacerdos, and the building itself can be seen in records as early as 1081. It was one of the very few cathedrals in the region that was never raided by the Vikings!!!! Those rascals!! Thank God, because if it were destroyed and leveled to the ground, we would not be able to visit and understand how profound this divine place actually is today and how well the efforts to preserve it have been accomplished. The Malraux Law was passed in 1962, which saw Sarlat restored, and this effort saved many buildings from demolition. The architect of this law, Andrea Malraux, was, at the time, the French Cultural Minister. This legal act greatly enhanced Sarlat's medieval center through the extensive restoration of most of its houses. My favorite (as mentioned in one of my earlier reviews) was the Manoir de Gisson, a museum that you should not miss when visiting! Some of my most favorite highlights during my visit were, of course, the food, the winding, cobblestone roads, the art galleries, and the nightlife, where visitors can enjoy an aperitif at a cozy, outdoor cafe' before venturing out to enjoy the tantalizing cuisine of this city! From foie gras, black truffles, cepes, dried sausages, cheese, walnuts, and wine, this girl was golden and I had everything that needed or could ever want! There is a great little grocery mart, tons of places to find delicious food and lot's of curiosities. There are candy shops, cafes, and desert spots galore!, And one cannot leave without visiting the farmer's markets, which are huge and packed full of the most amazing produce, delectables, and gifts. They have markets two times a week and they are a must see! I even ventured out to discover a wonderful art store and since I happen to be a painter, I could not pass up the 1.5 mile walk to scope out some French art supplies and I even got to pop into an incredibly curated antique shop as well! I could go on and on about this magical place, but I am going to leave it to you to book your ticket and see for yourself. My only hope is that my photos tell it's story and make you want to book your next trip to France!

Sarlat is a beautiful village, and if you planned to stay here, stay in one of the Bed & Breakfast…read more(mentioned in my previous review). But stay for the Market Day on Saturday. Market Day is fabulous! You'll see stuff not sold anywhere, and you'll see various foods not cooked anywhere else (unless you're in Spain), so get ready for lunch and have some Paella! There's no warnings for pickpockets, here! They're friendly people! Go early, before it gets too hot, & too crowded, and while the dish is fresh! BTW: Our Tour Guide told us, French Costumer Service, they ignore their customers, they don't pressure you to buy, sometimes they don't even greet you. That's their style! I'm in Customer Service, but I always talk to my customers. If I was ignored, I just assumed, the seller don't care about me! But not in France.

Enjoyable recreation of the cave with art work and interactive displays. They have various ticket…read morecombinations you can look into if staying in the area for a few days. We choose the basic and that was plenty - you start with guide and then go on your own with the displays and there's a short film and interactive temporary exhibits to check out. Neat to see this full recreation as the site is now closed due to damage to the artwork from over tourism.

This is an exact replica of the famous Lascaux cave, where hundreds of prehistoric drawings were…read morediscovered in 1940. Scientists have been piecing together the story ever since. As the original site is fragile, public access is not allowed. Our tour included a fascinating history of the cave with theories of how and why these paintings were first made starting 20,000 years ago. Was it sympathetic magic designed to draw fat animals closer for better hunting, or is there a deeper more metaphysical explanation? We may never know. However, we do see some true skill in depicting the world of these prehistoric people, including the emerging artistic skill in how to use the contours of the walls, color, and perspective. The museum is excellent and the tour makes good use of technology with tablets to help understand and interpret the site. This was a good stop for us in the Dordogne.

The sun was shining as we reached L'Hospitalet, the hamlet from which there is a great view, many…read moresay the best, of the medieval town, on three levels, of Rocamadour. The Chateau is on top, then the religious area and at the bottom, the housing of the workers, nowadays used as souvenir shops and artists' workshops. Rocamadour is dived into three height levels, three stages: the Chateau is on top, then the religious area and at the bottom, the housing of the workers, nowadays used as souvenir shops and artists' workshops. The bunch of chapels that make up the middle area is quite impressive. Among others, we visited Chapelle Notre-Dame where, on the altar, sits the statue of the miraculous Black Virgin and Child. It is tough on the legs around here but you may get refreshments along the way and some restaurants and bars have terraces overlooking the valley. Life is also made easier by the lifts that link the middle area with the bottom (EUR3.00 return) and with the Chateau.

Set in a gorge above the Dordogne River, Rocamadour is one of the most spectacular villages in…read moreFrance, and one of the most visited sites. It is classed as a world historical site by UNESCO. The village rises in stages up the side of the cliff. At the top of the cliff stands the château that was built in the Middle Ages. It is worth a trip, as the view from the top of the cliff is breath-taking. The village is also well known as it is an important peligrimage destination. If you have the energy, take the "grand escalier" 216 steps to the sanctuaries, including the Chapelle Notre Dame, (home to the black Madonna) the basilica St Sauveur, the St Michel chapel, the Palace of the Bishops and the three chapels.

It is about 4.5 for the visit. It is amazing the entire rock face was cut out in the middle for…read moredwelling. This nature cave is one kilometer long and 8 meters high. The limestone face provide prehistoric living area and protection. Currently the visit include walk along the entire length. It has some civil engineering equipment displayed how the 15 century people moving rock. This includes the hand crane, leveling, and horizontal pulley. This mechanism demonstrates how the rock was move. The cave also has the fortress for defense. You also can see the jail was putting there. Some area is used for gardening. This high location has a good overlooking the river below.

The guide is in Irish, joked the receptionist as he handed us a returnable trail leaflet as we…read moreentered La Roque St Christophe, a must visit site if you are in this area. This sheer rock face, some five terraces high, has been inhabited since prehistoric times. It was such a secure place, above the Vezere river, that man made it a troglodytic fort in the 10th century and that these early efforts were added to throughout the middle ages when the fort, really by then a high rise town, often held as many as 1000 people. A little reconstruction has taken place and one can easily imagine how the medieval town worked, how it continued to supply itself full size working models of big lifting machines have been constructed here - and how it defended itself against attackers. A marvellous and worthwhile experience.