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.

Woke to a lovely morning here in Sarlat, made even lovelier when a small deer skipped its way…read morearound the garden shrubbery. Just in case you think it was dawn, it was far from it as it was just before ten. Headed out then to visit the World Heritage site of Cloitre de Cadouin, a decent drive away. Here the good mood continued when the receptionist, who enjoyed here three months in UCC improving her English, presented us with a smashing bottle of Bergerac Molleaux (from the Caves de Monbazillac) as a reward for being persistent tourists. We had clocked up four visits to such sites and so earned the wine. As it was, we had visited almost twice that number but didn't realise that such a scheme was in force until well into our holiday. The complex boasts a fine church but is it the 15th century cloisters in the Flamboyant Gothic Style, and sponsored by Louis X1, that are the highlight here. Fine doors at the four corners, the abbot's throne and the restored chapterhouse are the features, though there are many more. A short but quite impressive visit.

From the owner: Découvrez ce chef d'oeuvre de l'art gothique flamboyantread more

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.

From the owner: Les Grottes de Maxange, découvertes en 2000, font partie des plus belles grottes à concrétions de…read moreFrance. Une visite facile et unique au cœur de la Dordogne. Situé à quelques encablures de la rivière Dordogne, au Buisson de Cadouin, les Grottes de Maxange offrent une diversité rare en concrétionnement. Vous y découvrirez des stalactites, des stalagmites, de nombreux panneaux d'aragonites recouvrant des murs entiers, des fistuleuses d'une extrême finesse, et surtout une profusion exceptionnelle de cristallisations rares dites " excentriques " absolument remarquables. Ces dernières, moins connues, ont la particularité de littéralement défier les lois de la pesanteur. Ce joyau de la nature a été découvert en août 2000 dans ce qui était à l'origine une carrière de pierre. Aujourd'hui, Maxange est reconnue comme étant une des plus belles grottes à cristallisation de France. Vaste parking gratuit, bar, boutique, aire de jeux, terrasse ombragée etc...

Le Bournat, 24260 Le Bugue http://www.lebournat.fr…read more 05 53 08 41 99 Situated on the banks of the Vezere, Le Bugue has much going for it, including Le Gouffre de Proumeyssac where one may do the descent into the cave by basket. Our trip on a dull Monday was to see Le Village du Bournat. Being early in the season, we missed out on most of the animations though we did we see a wood artist and a lace expert in action. This is really the reconstruction of a Perigord village from the early 1900s, complete with ladies washing by the water, a blacksmith's and a farmyard. Many other crafts are on display, though not all at the same time, and we also visited the windmill where in an adjoining cottage we found a nest of what looked like swallows, who were being fed by the parents. If you are hungry you may also sample some old style bread and more new style refreshments in the facilities. Kids are well catered for here with picnic facilities and many old style games to keep them occupied when they get fed up of the crafts and farm activities. Entry Cost for an adult is EUR12.00.

From the owner: Voyage en 1900 Il était une fois au coeur du Périgord Noir un village où le temps s'est arrêté au…read moredébut du siècle dernier : Le Village du Bournat. Un site à l'ancienne où parents et enfants font un voyage dans le temps pour y découvrir la vie de nos grands-parents, les traditions d'antan. Au rythme des saisons, à travers des animations et reconstitutions, le village s'anime et s'organise autour des visiteurs : la vie quotidienne, les femmes au lavoir, les enfants à l'école, les travaux des champs ... La journée au Bournat est rythmée entre l'atelier modelage et sculpture sur pierre ou les contes pour les enfants et une visite guidée dans le village décrivant la vie rurale en 1900. Tout l'été des visites nocturnes (20h30-22h00) sont également organisées sur le thème des Mythes et Croyances en Dordogne et sur le rôle de la femme en 1900.

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.