Sarlat-la-Canéda
This striking 16th-century Italian Renaissance–style house opposite Cathédrale St-Sacerdos is the birthplace of writer Étienne de la Boétie (1530–63).
Must-see attractions in The Dordogne, Limousin & the Lot
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.
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.
Limoges
Offers guided tours of porcelain production, from raw material to finished pieces. The factory is 1km northwest of Limoges’ centre.
Limoges
Tiny 1475 Chapelle Saint-Aurélien, dedicated to the patron saint of butchers, was acquired and maintained by the butchers' guild.
The Lot
Eclectic collection of French furniture, African and Chinese art, and rotating exhibitions. Delightful garden.
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 Parc Animalier des Monts de Guéret
Limousin
Black and grey wolves roam free across a 12-hectare wolf sanctuary.
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…
Limousin
The Gallo-Roman baths of Cassinomagus were rediscovered in 1844 and excavated from 1958 to 1988. This luxurious former way-station was an important…
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…
Limoges
All that remains of the once-great pilgrimage point St-Martial abbey, founded in AD 848, is a faint outline on place de la République, and an underground…
Chemin de Fer Touristique Limousin–Périgord
Limoges
Clamber aboard carriages pulled by a 1932 steam engine on the Chemin Touristique Limousin–Périgord to watch the Limousin’s fields and forests roll by. The…
Limousin
The château, built to protect the feudal seat of the powerful viscounts of Turenne, has beautiful views of the surrounding countryside from the 12th…
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…
Limousin
Two hundred million years ago, a 1.5km-radius intergalactic rock slammed into Earth 4km west of Rochechouart at 72,000km/h with the force of 14 million…
Limousin
The town’s main museum is in the beautiful Renaissance Hôtel de Labenche. Exhibits explore local history and archaeology, and there’s a collection of…
Limoges
Tucked away between rue du Temple and rue du Consulat, this tiny enclosed courtyard is surrounded by 16th-century hôtels particuliers (private mansions)…
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 Lot
Two hundred metres below the Forteresse Royale de Najac is the austere 13th-century Église St-Jean, constructed and financed by local villagers on the…
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…
The Lot
Insectopia is an interactive bug zoo that enthralls kids with display cases of creepy-crawlies, from giant millipedes to scarab beetles, praying mantises…
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…
Limousin
South of Bourganeuf, the Limousin is at its lushest, especially around Plateau de Millevaches, the large park which spans parts of the Corrèze, the Creuse…
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…
Musée de l'Électrification, de l'Eau et de la Lumière
Limousin
Bourganeuf's main claim to fame came in 1886, when it became one of the first places in France to be connected to mains electricity. In summer, this…
Cahors
Cahors was a base for the resistance during WWII. Look for displays on local hero Hélène Metges who died for the cause. As of mid-2018, the museum was…
The Lot
The village’s main landmark is the 16th-century Château du Doyen, which houses a heritage centre and museum, L’Espace Patrimoine, showcasing the art and…
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…
Limousin
In the centre of the village, the local church contains a beautiful enamelled reliquary known as the Châsse de St-Étienne, made in the 12th century by…
Limoges
The Maison de la Boucherie houses a small history museum, and nearby is the tiny Chapelle Saint-Aurélien, dedicated to the patron saint of butchers.
