The Dordogne Valley

Wednesday morning is market Day in Sarlat and the streets were alive with tourists, shoppers and vendors selling their produce. Surprisingly it wasn't any busier than any other day since we've been here. Maybe the rain kept some people away.

Much like the town of Sarlat, the Dordogne region has so many things to do and see, it is quite overwhelming. Thank goodness our hosts suggested a short local drive as a way to spend a full day. It was a cool showery day so we decided to drive and see what the elements allow us to do.

A short drive from Sarlat through the Dordogne Valley, was the hilltop village of Domme which occupies a scenic position high above the Dordogne River. Domme retains part of its original fortified walls and the gateways into the town. The ramparts are extremely thick and there remain three of the original doors. We were able to drive through the archway into the village to the car park near the ramparts at the top of the hill.

We spent a lot of time walking the streets and looking at all the special Artisan shops. We also discovered that under the main square in the town centre there are a series of stalactite and stalagmite filled caves that were once used to hide the residents during war time.

Taking note of the time, we decided to have an early lunch in La Roque Gageac before exploring. The village lines the Dordogne River and is backed by tall cliffs. If there was a landslide, the tiny town would not stand a chance. There is a troglodyte fort set in the cliffs, 40 metres above La Roque Gageac and there are significant remains of the 12th century construction still standing. Canoes and barges take tourists up and down the River giving a different perspective of the village. Our visit to "La Roque" was fairly short as we wanted to have plenty of time to check out Chateau de Castelnaud.

Chateau de Castelnaud, a Castle with a mote and a working catapult. Ian was in medieval heaven. There were collections of weapons, suits of Armour, miniature village displays, more stairs than our apartment in Sarlat, but it was a great place to visit. Again, amazing views, you could even see Beynac Castle, an old enemy. It makes you wonder how castles like this can be taken by the enemy. You can see for hundreds of miles, surely you would see them coming.

Beynac was on my list of places to visit because the River scenes in the "Chocolat" movie were shot on this part of the Dordogne. The Beynac Castle has also been used in many movies including "Les Miserable". Unfortunately there was no parking and it was raining so we drove straight through the village and back home to warm up.