![]() Sarlat MarketĪlthough an ancient town, Sarlat has embraced the present too. There are plenty of stop off places to eat, drink and watch the world go by. There are some hills and steep stairs to navigate if you want to get a stunning view over the town – they’re worth the effort. Pick up a map from the tourist office and then just wander and take in the sights as you dip into a maze of narrow streets lined with 16th century houses and dottted with pretty squares. The best way to discover Sarlat today is on foot. The walls are hung with bright coloured flowers, the streets wind their way through a largely pedestrianised area filled with little shops and brasseries – it’s no wonder that this town has featured in several films since it was rediscovered in the 1960s. ![]() Actually, if you go out of peak season it’s really not crowded at all. It’s touristy of course but it still feels real. There are lots of medieval towns in France but Sarlat is special and the inhabitants almost seem unaware of the magnificence of their town which in its way adds value to your visit. The result is a sleepy town that is an absolute treasure of architecture and stunningly beautiful. ![]() Having been almost abandoned for so long, the ancient buildings with their honey coloured stone walls and magnificent lauze stone roofs needed to be repaired to ensure they were saved for future generations. It wasn’t until the second half of the 20th Century that people from outside Sarlat began to wake up to its attractions and a programme of restoration was begun. In fact it almost appears to have become a sleeping beauty of a town since nothing much changed for almost 150 years as bad road links virtually cut it off from the main stream. Fought over during the Norman invasions and the Hundred Years War things calmed down for rather a long time. It is said that the town of Sarlat goes back to Roman times and it appears to have been a popular place for centuries. The yellow stone buildings, many dripping with flowers in the summer months, cobble stone walk ways and ancient shop signs hint at times gone by and provide endless photo opportunities. This beautiful little town almost looks as if time has stood still and allowed us a glimpse into the past (once you get past the main road through the outer bit which is not so old). It is a medieval town which developed around a Benedictine abbey and the warren of winding little streets and squares look as though they’ve been preserved for hundreds of years. It is off the beaten track, you have to travel a bit to get there but if you like old French towns with a lot of flair – you’ll definitely think it’s worth it. Sarlat (also known as Sarlat-la-Canéda) in the Perigord Noir area of the Dordogne in the region of Aquitaine, is one of those special places which once seen is never forgotten.
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