![]() A modest-looking tourism office in the middle of the square is built above the entrance to a large cave system where residents hid during the frequent invasions.Ī few minutes' drive to the west brings you to the gates of the Chateau de Beynac, the castle of childhood fantasies and the setting for a raft of movies, including the romance Ever After (1998) and the epic Jeanne d'Arc (1999). We stopped for lunch at a small cafe across from the town hall on the market square where locals once gathered to watch public executions. The main part of the village lies at the very top of the hill along the edge of a sheer cliff commanding sightlines along the entire valley. Domme was fought over repeatedly during the Hundred Years' War between the French and English, and it's easy to see why when you consider the view. Or you can drive another few minutes upriver to the phenomenal town of Domme, a naturally fortified village (bastide) built in the 13th century on a steep-sided hilltop nearly 244m above the river. We often found it hard to believe these rustic tracks were leading to major tourist destinations, but we were never disappointed. But more often than not, we had the roads to ourselves as they narrowed into single-lane tracks (more than once we had to back up to let another car squeeze past) through increasingly tiny villages and wooded hills. ![]() I felt daring driving at 45 mph on these byways while the locals lined up behind me, impatiently waiting to pass. All roads are winding, rolling two-lane forays through the pages of a fairy tale. This part of France apparently has no strip malls, gated housing developments or major highways. And forget the destinations - the drives themselves were breathtaking. Any one of them could have been the highlight of a trip. A 30- to 45-minute drive in any direction brought us to destinations that were each more stunning than the last. But as we quickly realised, the best thing about locating in Sarlat was leaving it. Though it was stimulating to be in the middle of such history, the smallness of the town - its photo-ready back streets could be explored in an afternoon - made us wonder at first about our decision to spend two weeks there. On the outskirts of town (still easily walkable from the centre), we discovered a place with absolutely authentic Dutch pannekoeken (a hearty, low-country take on crepes) and a cozy neighbourhood pizzeria. WHERE: Route du chateau, 24220 Beynac-et-Cazenacįor more information, go to /en Admission for adults costs about US$10 US$7 for ages 12 to 16 US$5 for ages five to 11 free for younger children. INFO: /en/sarlat-marketĬHATEAU DE BEYBAC: A lovely 10-minute drive from Sarlat, Chateau de Beynac is the scenic castle of your childhood fantasies. SARLAT MARKET: A traditional market selling fruits, vegetables and regional specialities throughout the streets of the old city. L'INSTANT THE: A tea room tucked away in a secluded patio of the old city. LES TULIPES: Authentic Dutch pancakes and French crepes both savoury and sweet. ![]() ![]() Our children, now far-flung and embarked on lives of their own, still remember that day 17 years later. For dinner, we found a traditional French restaurant whose dining room, to our delight, extended into a natural cavern. We bought wooden crusader swords for the kids and hand-spun earthenware pottery that my wife and I still treasure. The French government subsidised restoration of the dilapidated ancient structures and the tastefully restored apartments (which half a millennium ago were the residences of wealthy noble families) began, slowly at first, to attract tourists.īack in 2000, we wandered the town centre feeling like time travellers. City fathers had wakened one morning in the late 1950s to realise that, leaning above narrow and winding cobblestone streets and alleys, they had one of the largest collections of intact mediaeval architecture in Europe. On one of these excursions, we stumbled on the provincial city of Sarlat.Īn accident of history and several centuries of stagnant economy had left Sarlat's centre virtually unchanged architecturally since the days of siege engines and knights galloping over drawbridges. Each day, our son and daughter would say goodbye to the donkey that hung around our patio and we'd climb in the tiny rented Renault and drive somewhere in the fairy-tale beautiful Dordogne River region. (WASHINGTON POST) - When our children were 11 and nine, young enough to still be entirely inside the family circle but old enough to remember, we splurged on a "once in a lifetime vacation" and rented a small farmhouse in southwestern France outside the village of Saint-Cyprien. ![]()
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