Photogenically viewed from across the river, Brantôme’s iconic landmark combines a sizeable Gothic abbey church (free entrance) with a vast 18th-century monastic building that's now the town hall.
Entered through that building, the Grottes de l'Abbaye are a series of caves cut into the cliffside behind. Originally the hovels of 8th-century religious hermits, and later incorporated into the abbey, they're especially notable for a 15th-century carved frieze of the Last Judgment. The ticket also includes entrance to a small museum displaying paintings by Fernand Desmoulin…or maybe by spirits acting through him!
