10 Stunning Medieval Villages in the Dordogne That's Like Stepping Into the Pages of a History Book

Rocamadour takes your breath away as soon as you see it. It almost defies gravity. How is it possible for a village to cling to the side of a cliff face that way? The village sits 120 meters above the Alzou River, stacked in three vertical layers.

They call Brantôme the Venice of Périgord, and it’s easy to see why, though the nickname was coined by Raymond Poincaré during a visit in 1913. The town sits on an island formed by a bend in the Dronne River, accessible by five stone bridges that cross the water. Benedictine monks channeled the river centuries ago to create the canals that now encircle the medieval center.

Sarlat looks exactly like a 14th-century town should look. The entire medieval center survived intact because the town was forgotten for 150 years after it stopped being an important market hub in the 1700s. When the Malraux Act was passed in 1962 to protect historic buildings, Sarlat suddenly became one of the best-preserved medieval towns in France.

La Roque-Gageac squeezes itself between a 120-meter limestone cliff and the Dordogne River. The village runs along a single street that curves with the water for about 400 meters. Houses stack up the cliff face in an irregular pattern, some with caves carved right into their back walls that serve as natural cellars.

The château de Beynac sits on top of a 150-meter limestone cliff and has watched over the Dordogne Valley since the 12th century. The barons of Beynac built it to control the valley and the trade routes that ran along the river below. A sheer cliff face protects the front, making the fortress virtually impossible to attack from that side.

Domme sits on a rocky plateau 210 meters above the Dordogne Valley. Philippe le Hardi founded this royal bastide in 1281 as a fortified new town, and the layout has barely changed since medieval times. Massive stone gates and well-preserved ramparts still protect the center, which follows the grid pattern typical of bastides.

Edward I of England founded Monpazier in 1284, and it has remained almost 100% intact since the 13th century. The central square sits surrounded by arcaded buildings with original 13th-century stonework still visible. The covered market hall in the center has been classified as a Historic Monument.

Limeuil sits at the exact point where the Vézère River flows into the Dordogne. The village climbs up from the confluence in a tangle of narrow streets and stone staircases, with each level offering views across the meeting waters below.

Two châteaux dominate this village. The medieval Château de Castelnaud sits on a rocky spur overlooking the Dordogne, while the Renaissance Château des Milandes occupies the valley below. The medieval fortress has been turned into a museum of medieval warfare, with collections of weapons, armor, and siege engines.

The name Belvès comes from the Occitan words for “beautiful view,” and the village lives up to it. Perched on a rocky spur above the Nauze Valley, the village offers panoramic views across the surrounding countryside from multiple vantage points.

These towns and villages in the Dordogne will take you back in time to the 12th and 13th centuries and beyond. Many of the buildings are original.