Sarlat-la-Canéda and a drive through the Perigord

Join us as we explore spring in southwest France from Bordeau to Sarlat! Not only is it at the heart of a rich culinary heritage (foie gras, anyone?), but of our human heritage, as well. Nearby are the underground Lascaux II and III caves, exact replicas of the famous Neolithic grottos where our ancestors depicted running horses and cattle 17,000 years ago. Colorful drives take us to lesser-known French chateaux—Belcayre, Thonac, Beynac and Castelnaud-la-Chapelle. The private, extraordinarily landscaped Marqueyssac Hanging Gardens soar above this historic region.

0:00 From Bordeaux to Sarlat-la-Canéda
00:48 Arrival in Sarlat-la-Canéda
02:43 Visiting Lascaux
04:16 ⁨Château de Belcayre⁩, ⁨Thonac⁩
09:16 ⁨Château de Beynac
12:15 Chateau de Castelnaud-la-Chapelle⁩
13:44 ⁨Château de Marqueyssac Hanging Gardens
16:42 Sarlat back to Bordeaux

Sarlat-la-Canéda is remarkable among the medieval French villages of the Dordogne, south and east of Bordeaux, to have kept most of its buildings from the late Middle Ages to the early Renaissance. The beautiful sandstone architecture of Sarlat is stunning against a clear-blue April sky.

Can you spot the salamanders? Catch their metal images atop buildings or carved into archways. The salamander is a symbol of Francis I, king of France, patron of the arts who influenced the French Renaissance far beyond Loire valley chateaux (he was the one who hosted Leonardo da Vinci in France in the artist’s final years). In the 20th C, Sarlat benefited from the influence of Andre Malraux, France's first cultural minister, who advocated for preserving the heritage of many intact post-war French villages. He convinced the government to fund restoration efforts and used Sarlat as a model site.

In Sarlat, the decaying, desanctified Sainte-Marie Church, redesigned by architect Jean Nouvel into a high, narrow grand hall, now hosts an indoor food market, next to the old outdoor one that takes up the whole central square on market days. A modern glass elevator in the church’s former bell tower offers city views. Along with fresh meat, seafood and produce, the markets offer such local delicacies as foie gras (goose and its more affordable variety, duck), cheeses and walnut cake—another local specialty. To the south, close to the Cathédrale Saint-Sacerdos de Sarlat, stands the bullet-shaped Lanterne des Morts tower.