France Family Travel Guide Logo

Dordogne Towns  There is a rich diversity of towns and villages in the Dordogne with splendid villages perchés and bastide towns such as Domme, delightful riverside villages such as Limeuil and cultural centres such as Sarlat.  But the best must be the spectacular villages built around cliffside troglodyte dwellings such as Rocamadour or La Roque Gageac.  No visit to the Dordogne can be complete without spending at least some time in a street café in one or other of these.

Street in DommeDomme

Location: In the centre of the Dordogne, about 12km south of Sarlat.  You will see signposts for “park and ride” car parks…..we recommend driving into the town itself (not on Thursday which is market day).
General Info: Even if it wasn't one of
Les Plus Beaux Villages de France, Domme would still be high on the list of places you must visit in the Dordogne.  Tourist office website.
Description: This is a marvellous example of a walled bastide town with several fortified gateways in the town walls.  It is situated high above the river with outstanding views of the Dordogne and the main châteaux in the area.  Underneath the market square there is a cave with stalagmites and stalactites.  There are a lot of tourist shops to browse!
Our recommendations: This town is beautifully atmospheric in the evening and on market day.  We recommend that you wander around some of the back streets to add to the atmosphere.  Look out for Msr Jean Claude Malandain, Domme’s resident artist who has been painting and sketching views of Domme for the last 15 years or so.  You will be able to buy some of his work in the local shops.
For the children: There are some gardens on the west side of the town with a small play area and small fairground rides in the market square overlooking the Dordogne.

Our favourite towns in the Dordogne:

             - Domme
             - La Roque Gageac
             - Limeuil
             - Monpazier
             - Rocamadour
             - St Emilion
             - Sarlat

Also worth a visit are Le Bugue and St Cyprien for their markets, Meyrals for its fascinating scarecrow displays and Bergerac for its wine museum.

External websites offering information on the Dordogne:

- Virtual Guide around Perigord.

You may also be interested in visiting our section on the Lot which is within a day trip's reach from the Dordogne.
Chosen by our children:

     - Top Attractions in the Dordogne
     - Top ten Holiday destinations in France