Sarlat-la-Canéda

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Place de la Liberté.

Andrew Montgomery

Overview

A picturesque tangle of honey-coloured buildings, alleyways and secret squares make up the beautiful town of Sarlat-la-Canéda. Boasting some of the region’s best-preserved medieval architecture, it’s a popular base for exploring the Vézère Valley, and a favourite location for film directors. It’s also firmly on the tourist radar, and you might find it difficult to appreciate the town’s charms among the summer throngs, especially on market days.

01 / Attractions

Must-see attractions

  • Weekly Markets

    Weekly Markets

    Sarlat-la-Canéda

    For an introductory French market experience, visit Sarlat’s heavily touristed Saturday market, which takes over the streets around Cathédrale St-Sacerdos…

  • Place du Marché aux Oies

    Place du Marché aux Oies

    Sarlat-la-Canéda

    A life-size statue of three bronze geese stands in the centre of beautiful place du Marché aux Oies (Goose Market Sq), where live geese are still sold…

  • L’Elevage du Bouyssou

    L’Elevage du Bouyssou

    Sarlat-la-Canéda

    The Dordogne is famous for its foie gras. You’ll see duck and goose farms dotted throughout the countryside, many of which offer guided tours and…

  • Moulin de la Tour

    Moulin de la Tour

    Sarlat-la-Canéda

    The humble noix (walnut) has been a prized product of the Dordogne for centuries, and is still used in many local recipes – cakes, puddings, pancakes and…

  • Les Jardins du Manoir d’Eyrignac

    Les Jardins du Manoir d’Eyrignac

    Sarlat-la-Canéda

    While it's not quite the work of Edward Scissorhands, these topiary gardens are nonetheless a labour of love, with everything clipped by hand. A…

  • Église Ste-Marie

    Église Ste-Marie

    Sarlat-la-Canéda

    Église Ste-Marie was ingeniously converted by acclaimed architect Jean Nouvel, whose parents still live in Sarlat, into the town’s touristy Marché Couvert…

  • Cathédrale St-Sacerdos

    Cathédrale St-Sacerdos

    Sarlat-la-Canéda

    Once part of Sarlat’s Cluniac abbey, the original abbey church was built in the 1100s, redeveloped in the early 1500s, and remodelled again in the 1700s,…

  • Jardin des Enfeus

    Jardin des Enfeus

    Sarlat-la-Canéda

    Behind the cathedral, the Jardin des Enfeus was Sarlat’s first cemetery. The rocket-shaped Lanterne des Morts may have been built to honour a visit by St…

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02 / Plan with a local

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