The most beautiful villages around Sarlat
The Dordogne holds one of France's highest concentrations of officially listed villages, and a good many of them lie within a short distance of Sarlat. Villages clinging to a cliff, geometrically planned bastides, hilltop towns above the river: each has a very distinct character, and visiting them back to back without thought makes them blur together.
This page groups them by type, so you can build coherent days rather than chase labels.
Villages of the Dordogne valley
The most spectacular, and therefore the busiest in summer. They follow the river south of Sarlat and are easily covered in a single day.
La Roque-Gageac
One of the most beautiful villages in France, clinging to the cliffside on the banks of the Dordogne. Explore on foot or aboard a traditional gabare boat.
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Beynac-et-Cazenac
A stone village nestled beneath its castle, with steep lanes and a small harbour on the Dordogne.
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Domme, the clifftop village
Listed among the most beautiful villages in France, Domme offers one of the finest panoramas over the valley.
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Castelnaud-la-Chapelle
A village tucked beneath its fortress, with golden stone houses and views over the Dordogne valley.
View on Google MapsWhat sets them apart
La Roque-Gageac
A linear village wedged between cliff and river, facing due south. The most photographed in the valley, and the usual starting point for both traditional gabare boat trips and canoe descents.
Domme
A bastide perched high above the valley, with one of the widest panoramas over it. The village keeps its fortified gates and shelters a cave beneath the main square.
Beynac-et-Cazenac
The village climbs in steps from the river up to the fortress crowning it. The ascent is on foot through very steep lanes, and it has to be earned.
Castelnaud-la-Chapelle
On the opposite bank, facing Beynac. Its castle overlooks a gently sloping village and looks straight across at its rival fortress.
The Vezere and the western villages
Less visited, often calmer, and perfect for a day away from the crowds.
Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère
A Romanesque hamlet on the riverbank, among the most beautiful villages in France, with its 12th-century church.
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Limeuil
A flower-decked village perched at the confluence of the Dordogne and Vézère rivers, with panoramic gardens.
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Monpazier
One of the finest medieval bastide towns in France, with its arcaded square unchanged since 1284.
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Belvès
A medieval village perched on its promontory, with 14th-century covered market halls and troglodyte dwellings.
View on Google MapsUnderstanding the bastides
Several villages in the region are not ordinary medieval towns but bastides: new towns founded in the 13th century and built in one go on a regular grid around an arcaded square. Monpazier is the most complete example, with its chequerboard of streets and its central market hall still standing.
That regularity contrasts sharply with the tangle of Sarlat or Beynac, which grew over centuries. Visiting both types in the same trip makes each one easier to read.
Frequently asked questions
Which village should you visit first around Sarlat?
If you only visit one, La Roque-Gageac for the setting and the river. If you visit two, add Domme for the panorama, which gives a radically different view of the same valley.
Can you reach these villages on foot from Sarlat?
No, they sit out in the valley and require a car. Sarlat is, however, the most central starting point for reaching them and returning to sleep in the evening.
How many villages in one day?
Two, possibly three if one is only a scenic stop. Beyond that they blur together and the day turns into a succession of car parks.
Read next
- The castles around SarlatBeynac, Castelnaud, Les Milandes, Puymartin, Commarque, Fenelon: a guide to the castles worth visiting around Sarlat and across the Perigord Noir.
- What to do around SarlatDordogne castles, perched villages, gardens, prehistoric caves and canoeing: everything to do around Sarlat, all within an hour's drive.
- Three days in the Perigord Noir from SarlatA three-day Perigord Noir itinerary from Sarlat: the old town, the Dordogne valley and its castles, then prehistory in the Vezere valley.
- Visiting the Perigord NoirThe Dordogne valley, the Vezere valley, listed villages, castles and painted caves: how to explore the Perigord Noir and where to set up your base.
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