Perigord - South West
On the borders of Charente and Périgord, Aubeterre clings its entangled roofs and castle to a grassy cliff on the banks of the Dronne. The monolithic or rock-hewn underground Church of Saint Jean, the Collegiate Church of Saint Jacques and chapels and convents are evidence of the village’s significant religious past and pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela used to stop here.
Themes
- By the waterside : River Dronne
- Castles and ramparts : The castle
- Abbeys and churches : Underground Church of Saint Jean, Collegiate Church of Saint Jacques, Poor Clare, Franciscan and Minim convents
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Autoire has nestled its square pigeon lofts, its brown tiled roofs and its country and small manor houses in the hollow of a cirque on the limestone plateau between Figeac and Gramat. In this arid land, only the Autoire, a fast-flowing stream that lends its name to the village, brings freshness from its waterfalls.
Themes
- Castles and ramparts : Chateau des Anglais, Limargue Castle, Busqueille Castle
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A stopping place on the pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela between Toulouse and Agen, on the banks of the Garonne, Auvillar is revealed through one of the 3 gateways that cut through its fortifications and lead to the square where a circular corn exchange can be admired – the only one of its kind in Southwest France.
Themes
- By the waterside : The river Garonne
- Unusual sight : The circular corn exchange
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Beynac-et-Cazenac lies 10 kilometres southwest of Sarlat, on the banks of the Dordogne, and boasts an imposing castle, once besieged by Richard the Lion Heart, around which "lauze" stone slab-roofed houses with their creamy façades are built.
Themes
- By the waterside : The river Dordogne
- Castles and ramparts : Beynac Castle
- Gastronomy : Geese and ducks
- Unusual sights : The Archaeological Park
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Stone-built houses or wooden ones with corbelling or half-timbering, turrets, twin-arched or mullioned windows, arched doors, and flower-bedecked streets are just some of the many features that make Bruniquel so appealing. This former stopping place on the pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela where the Quercy, Albigeois and Rouergue areas meet has also managed to preserve both castle and ramparts.
Themes
- Castles and ramparts : The Castle
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Just a few kilometres from Figeac, at the gateway to Ségala country, Cardaillac bears the name of one of the most powerful families in Quercy. The village’s distinctive feature and all that is left of medieval times is the fort with its two square towers and a round tower that provides a panoramic view of the village.
Themes
- Castles and ramparts : The fort and the towers
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On the banks of the Dordogne, Renaissance houses with sculpted windows and brown roofs are clustered around an 11C Cluniac priory where French writer and prelate Fénelon once lived. Near the Romanesque church and its cloister, the Château des Doyens invites you to discover the treasures of this Pays d’Art et d’Histoire-labelled region to which Carennac belongs.
Themes
- Abbeys and churches : The church, cloister and the sculpture depicting Christ’s entombment
- By the waterside : The river Dordogne
- Castles and ramparts : The "Château des Doyens"
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This “bastide” or fortified village near Albi overlooks the Vère valley and lies in the heart of the Gaillac vineyards. It was founded by Raymond VII, Count of Toulouse, and its church is home to the reliquary cross of the Counts of Armagnac, adorned with 310 precious stones.
Themes
- Panoramas : view of the Vère valley from the promontory "Pechmiral"
- Wine : AOC Gaillac wines
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The matchless red sandstone is the hallmark of this former stronghold of the Counts of Turenne. It is everywhere : beneath the "lauze" stone-slab or slate roofs of the impressive 15C and 16C houses, and adorning the corn and wine mart and the Church of Saint Pierre too.
Themes
- Unusual sights : Maison de la Sirène (Mermaid’s House)
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The Villages
By geographic area
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