The most beautiful villages of the Pèrigord in Dordogne in southern France

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Corner of Terrason Lavilledieu in Perigord in France

One of the attractions of the trip we have recently made to the territory of Pèrigord, in the department of Dordognesouth of France, is the possibility of visiting some of your medieval villages.

With the denomination of Pèrigord an old French province was known, and its territory is now part of the departments of Dordogne Y Lot and Garonne.

In our trip we focus on the sub-region of Black Pèrigord, which has as its main references the small city of Sarla-la-Caneda and the valley where the Dordogne river.

Corner of Sarlat in Pèrigord in southwest France

Most beautiful villages of Pèrigord

The towns that I will indicate are very close to each other, so it is easy to visit them on a tour of this area that receives the aforementioned name of Black Pèrigord through the lush and dark forests that extend through the region.

Sarlat-la-Caneda in Pèrigord

Sarlat it is the heart of the aforementioned territory of Black Pèrigord, and I include it in this report of pretty villages with medieval charm although administratively it is a small city.

Thus they are considered in France all populations that exceed 10,000 inhabitants, as is the case with Sarlat, even for very little ...

Corner of Sarlat in Pèrigord in southwest France

When you get to visit Sarlat and stroll through its streets, you will have the feeling of being in a medieval village, with houses of that time with half-timbered facades.

Now, you will be surprised to see that in certain areas of the historic center they are combined with 17th-century Renaissance buildings, and even 18th-century buildings in classic style.

The explanation is a fire that this population suffered at the beginning of this last century, which destroyed much of the medieval buildings.

Sarlat It is a tourist place that receives many visitors during holiday seasons, which is easy to understand because of its attractiveness.

On your visit you must climb the tower of the old church of Santa Maria, which has recently been rehabilitated with the construction of a panoramic elevator that has become a prominent tourist attraction.

You must stroll through its narrow streets and get lost in corners that have a great charm.

Definitely, Sarlat It is one of the essential visits on a route not only by Pèrigordbut also for the Dordogne.

La Roque Gageac in Perigord in France from a barge

La Roque Gageac in Pèrigord

If we talk about a typical pretty town, without a doubt La Roque Gageac It has all the characteristics, and a good example is that not long ago it has been listed as one of the most beautiful villages in France.

The appeal of La Roque Gageac It is located in its amazing location at the foot of a rocky cliff falls over the Dordogne River.

The houses of this small town of about 400 inhabitants line up between both geographical references, so that the best way to see it is by navigating the river.

Its origins date back to before the time of the Romans, during the Middle Ages it was an impregnable enclave, and in the Renaissance It had a great commercial boom that led to the construction of numerous stately homes.

To see it from the river, you can sign up for a cruise on a traditional barge which emulates those that before the arrival of the railroad were used for river transport.

It is an excursion in which from the river you can also see up to three castles that rise in hills of the valley, highlighting the one of Castellnaud la Chapelle.

Beiynac Castle in Perigord in southwest France

Beynac in Pèrigord

Located 10 kilometers from Sarlat, in the same valley of Dordogne river you can see another beautiful little town that has a characteristic similar to that of La Roque Gageag.

Beynac It is located at the foot of a large cliff and on the banks of the river, so that its stone houses clump together in a narrow margin of land.

Although what should really take you to visit Beynac It is the great castle of the 12th century that sits on top of the cliff.

Fully refurbished, since Beynac Castle you have spectacular panoramic views of the Dordogne Valley, known as the Valley of the Five Castles.

Terrason in Perigord in southwest France

Terrason in Pèrigord

Other attractive village of PèrigordWell worth visiting is Terrason Lavilledieu.

It is located in the limits of this sub-region, 40 kilometers north of Sarlat, and two are its main arguments for the visit, on the one hand, stroll through its small historic center, and on the other, its Imaginary Garden.

While its origins date back to prehistoric times, the rise of Terrason It was from the establishment of a monastery in the sixth century.

And a prominent fact in more current times was the construction in 1830 of the New bridge That crosses the river.

He historic center of Terrason is very concentrated on the hill next to Vezere river and around the church of Saint Sour, Gothic style, which was part of the old abbey.

Echoppe from a Terrason store in Perigord in southwest France

There they emphasize the corner of the downtown Bouquier square, and the echoppes, denomination of the traditional-style wooden facades that decorate the shops of the historic center.

As for the Imaginary Garden, is a contemporary garden designed in 1996 by the American landscape designer Kathryn Gustafson and the english architect Ian Ritchie.

The garden extends over 6 hectares in a forest located on another hill, overlooking the historic center of Terrason, and on your walk through it you can see up to seven different landscape scenes.

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