Towns & Villages in Dordogne

Sainte-Foy-la-Grande sits on the south bank of the Dordogne river. This attractive walled bastide town still has some of its medieval houses and is a good base for visiting the surrounding Sainte-Foy-Bordeaux wine region and nearby Château de Montaigne, home of Michel de Montaigne.

Limeuil is a picturesque old village which features on the list of 'Les Plus Beaux Villages de France'. It has a pretty park on the top of the hill and some ruins from its medieval past.

Founded in 1261, Lalinde was the first English bastide. Situated on the banks of the Dorgdogne, the town is also crossed by the Canal de Lalinde, constructed to bypass the dangerous rapids of Grand Thoret.

The main town of the area between 1800 and 1926, it was all but destroyed during the floods of 1930, which caused devastation across the entire south west of France and counted as a 100 year flood.

The riverside town of Saint-Céré is a lovely place to base yourself for excursions in the region. The La Bave river winds its way through the centre of the town and its old buildings have been carefully restored, retaining their timber vaulting or Renaissance stonework. 

You get a sense of this town's history as soon as you arrive, with are flags and coats of arms lining the roads that lead you to the main square.

Very much a textbook bastide village, it's laid out in a grid fashion around a central square. Eymet, as it exists today, was founded by Alphonse de Poitiers in 1270. 

The town of Martel is not, in fact, famous for the brandy (that's Martell with two ll's) but is well known as the capital of truffles and a great producer of walnuts, two of the region's specialities.

Trémolat was originally home to a 6th century hermit, Saint-Cybard, before monks built their monastery here in the 9th century.

Perched on the side of a cliff, in a gorge above the river Alzou, this medieval town has a breathtaking setting.

Couze used to be a paper-making village and a number of its old mills are still in existence, using the power of the Couze river to turn the water wheel.

The relaxed town of Le Bugue sits on the river Vézère where it's joined by the Doux. A more tranquil base for exploring the region, it has some pretty, narrow streets and a bustling market twice a week.

The village of Beynac-et-Cazenac is thought to date back to the 12th century when its imposing cliff top château was constructed.

This medieval town on a bend in the Dordogne grew around its 9th century Benedictine abbey of Saint-Pierre.

Sitting proud on a rocky outcrop overlooking the Nauze valley, this fortified town boasts seven bell towers and an 11th century keep that is still standing, despite numerous invasions and wars.

Carennac has been previously voted 'One of the 'Most Beautiful Villages in France' and it's easy to see why. The blonde stone and red-brown roofs of its buildings have tall chimneys and are adorned with creepers that turn red in the autumn.

It's hard to imagine a nicer village than La Roque-Gageac, with its huge limestone cliffs that tower behind the Renaissance-style houses built in creamy stone with burnt red roofs. 

The pretty old town of Montignac serves as a good base for visiting the nearby prehistoric caves.