Fortified villages – Larressingle

Most Francophiles have heard of Carcassonne, the incredible fortified city in Languedoc-Roussillon. Incredible for two reasons – the size and quality of the medieval fortifications, and the knowledge that in the 19th century it was scheduled for demolition, and was only saved at the last minute by the newly appointed ‘Inspector of Historic Monuments’.

But head to the west, and in Gascony (now Gers) you will find a ‘baby version’ of Carcassonne which is also a fascinating place to visit.

Larressingle is a very well preserved fortified village, with the defensive walls surrounding a church and a small cluster of medieval houses.

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Landscape photos

On the south of France site home page we use ‘widescreen’ (landscape) pictures’ that get pushed off the front page when a new feature appears, never to be seen again. This is a shame, so I thought I’d post them here as well for the sake of posterity.

Aubeterre-sur-Dronne

Mont-Lozere

Ardeche gorges

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South of Sarlat

Sarlat, ‘unofficial’ capital of the Dordogne department and tourist magnet because of its extraordinary number of medieval buildings, is in the centre of a very attractive region. This is not news!

Most visitors to the region around Sarlat venture along the Dordogne River to see the villages and castles, and head up the Vezere Valley for the prehistoric sites. But to the south, towards Villefranche-du-Perigord, the region and places are much less well known.

This is a shame, because it is a lovely, often forested region which conceals some quiet unspoiled villages that are very much worth exploring.

Head into the countryside south-east of Domme (itself an unmissable highlight of a visit to the region), and discover the small villages at Saint-Pompon (officially Saint-Pompont), Daglan and Besse, along with several other small hamlets.

Highlights of your trip will include the lovely 12th century roman style church at Besse, and a wander around the small yet perfectly formed Saint-Pompon.

Villefranche-du-Perigord is perhaps the southern limit of your trip – stop to see the church, market hall and arcaded houses around the central square; while Belves is the eastern limit – be sure to allow time to explore Belves, because it is another very attractive small town, in the traditional Dordogne style.

Sardy gardens

For most people, when we think of gardens in the Dordogne we think of the formal gardens in the French style, with carefully trimmed box hedges and meticulously planned layouts. There are several of these to enjoy, including the very well known (and popular) gardens at Marqueyssac and Chateau Hautefort.

For something a little different, venture west of Bergerac in the region and visit the Jardins de Sardy near the border with the Gironde department and close to Sainte-Foy-la-Grande.

The garden is very attractive, and in an ‘Italian meets English’ style, much less formal than the gardens at the grand castles.

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