Cadouin
This Unesco-listed 12th-century Cistercian abbey and its Gothic cloister hide in the forest just south of the Dordogne, along the River Bélingou.
Must-see attractions in The Dordogne
Le Bugue
In high season, reserve ahead for a guided tour of this vast cave with sparkling stalactites. It has an aerial basket for viewing the cavern.
Cadouin
Discovered in 2000 in a stone quarry, this cave system is packed with stalagtites and mineral deposits.
The Dordogne
Galerie Daumesnil is a series of linked courtyards within 15th- to 17th-century townhouses.
Sarlat-la-Canéda
Get truffe noir (black truffle) at the winter-morning Marché aux Truffes.
The Dordogne
The façade of the 15th-century Maison du Pâtissier is elaborately carved.
Le Village Troglodytique de la Madeleine
The Dordogne
Many of the Vézère’s caves were used for storage, defence or protection as recently as the Middle Ages. This cave village 8km northeast of Les Eyzies was…
The Dordogne
On a sheer cliff face 80m above the Vézère, this 900m-long series of terraces and caves has been a practically unassailable natural fortress for almost 50…
Les Jardins du Manoir d’Eyrignac
Sarlat-la-Canéda
While it's not quite the work of Edward Scissorhands, these topiary gardens are nonetheless a labour of love, with everything clipped by hand. A…
The Dordogne
About 250m north of the Musée National de Préhistoire, this Cro-Magnon abri (shelter) was inhabited over a period of 15,000 years starting some 37,000…
The Dordogne
This one-time fortress buffeted by the Hundred Years War was originally constructed in the 12th and 13th centuries. Later additions occurred during the…
The Dordogne
Brantôme’s most illustrious landmark is the former Benedictine Abbey, built and rebuilt from the 11th to 18th centuries and now occupied by the town hall…
The Dordogne
Honeycombing the stone underneath the village is a series of large caves decorated with ornate stalactites and stalagmites. Get tickets, which include…
The Dordogne
The Église St-Étienne de la Cité was built in the 11th century on the site of the Roman temple to Mars. Périgueux’ cathedral until 1669, it only has two…
The Dordogne
The verdant Jardin des Arènes in the rejuvenated ruins of the city's Roman amphitheatre attract locals and visitors alike. Kids play in the fountain,…
The Dordogne
This Tursac chateau was built straight into the rock face that used to shelter prehistoric humans. Now it's kitted out with period furnishing and displays…
The Dordogne
Across the square from the tourist office, artefacts here include clothing, toys and tools, mainly from the 19th century. Admission is included with the…
Bourdeilles
Explore one of the fortresses of the four baronies of the Périgord, built and rebuilt over the centuries. Tucked in a small bend in the River Dronne, it…
The Dordogne
Many Knights Templar were imprisoned in Domme in 1307 while they awaited trial. Loads of Templar graffiti in their code system still marks their prison…
Sarlat-la-Canéda
A passage from Cour des Chanoines leads to the Chapelle St-Benoît, aka Chapelle des Pénitents Bleus, a 12th-century Romanesque chapel and the oldest…
The Dordogne
Of the 28 towers that formed Puy St-Front’s medieval fortifications, only the 15th-century Tour Mataguerre, a stout, cylindrical bastion, remains.
The Dordogne
Ornate gardens and 15th-century moat and battlements surround this grandly furnished 16th-century château, 6km southwest of Montignac.
The Dordogne
Interactive displays trace the history and stories of Cro-Magnon people; there is a small rock shelter accessible above the site.
The Dordogne
Inside the 17th-century Maison Peyrarède, the displays span 3000 years of history and include a collection of ornate pipes.
The Dordogne
Wonderfully musty displays of vintage winemaking equipment and scale models of local river boats.
The Dordogne
The best views of Périgueux' Cathédrale St-Front are from this bridge, just to the east.
The Dordogne
A warren of meandering lanes leads up to La Roque’s dramatic fort, where a series of defensive positions constructed by medieval engineers were carved out…
