Sarlat-la-Canéda

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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.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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…