We spent a week in Mauroux, a tiny hamlet on the Lot river, in early May and discovered a dozen incredibly beautiful bastides, chateaus and fortified towns in the area. A quick word on the particulars of each: A bastide is a ‘new town’ established in the 13th and 14th centuries as a means for the French to secure parcels of land (before the English did) across France and to lessen the hold the lords had on the land and communes around their châteaus. The Bastides were built in sparsely populated areas and designed to attract people to work and live in the area. They all have a common design with a main square designed for commerce (not worship) with a market in the middle (See Belvès above) and dwellings for commerce around the outside. The church was located off the square.
A château is a French term for a castle – (but can also refer to a winemakers estate). The ones around us were all built in the 13th and 14th centuries and were structures arranged for defence (See Biron chateaux above) rather than for residence (later the term chateau was used to designate any feudal lords’ residence and later still any large country house). The ones we visited were all heavily fortified to protect them from feuding families and an uprising of the peasants against the taxes placed on them (it was pre-French revolution and an uprising against the riches of the lords was heating up!). The bigger the castle the wealthier the family and the more protection was needed. Many of the fortified towns started as a castle that needed protecting and they added a tall Watchtower/Keep/DonJohn for security then a moat and drawbridge, then a high wall around the outside.
Some began as fortified towns and were built in strategically defensible positions– on the summit of a hill to keep a 360 degree eye on advancing enemies (see Carcassonne), into a cliff face where you could shoot down ascending enemies (see Rocamadour above) or even in a cave where you could not be seen or reached (see La Roque-Gagec).
Here’s a summary of the towns we visited when staying in Mauroux for a week in early May, I have listed the towns in groups based on their proximity to each other so you can see which ones to do together:
These five stunning towns in the Lot-Dordogne region are all within 30 mins drive of each other so good to do in a cluster over 1-2 days:
Sarlat-en-Caneda
We had been here before and were thrilled to visit again in autumn when it was not yet too crowded and we could wander at leisure throughout the beautiful ancient streets.
It was a Saturday, so the traditional outdoor market was on in the medieval town and although we arrived too late (after 1pm) for the food stalls in the former Sainte-Marie church in the midst of the historical district, we still got to wander through the stalls of pottery, jewellery, clothing and arts and crafts and admire the beautiful old buildings, magnificent church and surrounds of this super pretty town.
Domme
We only had an hour to walk around this lovely golden bastide town – perched high (once again) on a hill.
It has wide streets and creamy caramel buildings with burgundy shutters (each town seems to have its colour theme). There’s lots of beautifully presented homes, lovely belvederes with sprawling views of the valley and it has not yet fallen to the tourist traps off glaces/crepes and fois gras in every shop.
La Roque-Gageac
What on earth were they thinking? Surely there was a spare hill or two to build a fortress on? Why would you scramble up a sheer cliff to nudge your fort/castle into a nick in a cliff? Crazy I say (and felt as I walked up the steel steps somehow attached to the stone cliffs to the cave). This ascent was originally taken on a rope and ladder affair then later, on a wooden step construction. Whatever the material it was it still had to and still does sit on the outside of a very sheer cliff.
It didn’t help that the whole thing came crumbling down in 2010 (yes, only 14 years ago) and has only just reopened after a decade of reinforcement (see columns in the cliff cave below). Jamie kept pointing out the cracks and the height and well, we didn’t stay up there too long! We watched the projected video in the cave, admired the rustic open air kitchen (see below) and spotted the Bastide village of Domme and Castelnaud and its chateau from up high while the birds soared by and the flooding Dordogne river spread forever outwards below.
Chateau de Beynac
This was the most expensive, ornate and restored chateau we have visited to date and the busiest ( which we realised was due to the May 8 Bank Holiday in honour of the day that WWII was officially declared over (kinda like our Nov 11 Armistice day in Australia).
The castle was lived in until the 1970s and has some beautiful ballrooms, dining rooms and bedrooms with lovely timber floors, huge stone fireplaces. The Beynac town below is also quite lovely with the atypical narrow winding streets and nic little cafés.
Belvés
We called in to this old, fortified town on our way home from Beynac. It was a calm late afternoon surprise. No fee to park, no crowds of people, no endless lolly/crepe/glace stands just a few casual bars open, a couple of local produce shops, a clay-atelier who sold scented stones – bought some for the car and a few ancient portes/churches and ramparts.
Beautiful creamy-sandstone clay glowed in the early evening sun. We decided to have an apero given it was 6pm and pulled up at a rather busy little bar for a beer and walnut slice (all that was on offer) and watched the world go by over the old market square.
These villages places are all less than 30 mins from Mauroux, the little hamlet where our farmhouse was – they are all good day trips done in lots of 2 or 3 at a time.
Mauroux
We stayed in a big Mas near the Lot river and the tiny town of Mauroux for 7 nights in early May. There’s one restaurant, a small grocery store and a Mairie in town – with a very kind Mayor who saw us looking at the map of the area and photocopied information on all the walks for the area for us from his book!
And there were many lovely walks down forest tracks, well marked with wooden signposts as well as some legs of the GR (Grand Routes) tracks in the area through vine fields and down the tiny roads.
Puy L’évêque
Just 20 mins down the road from our Gite and on the (rather flooded) Lot river this is a hidden gem of a town. Its ancient buildings tumble down the cliff face, stopping short of landing in the Lot!
It has all the usual remnants of a fortified town: a DonJohn and parts of the ancient castle plus a 13th century tower and an and a 14th century Church of Saint Sauveur. There’s lovely gardens cascading down the cliffs and a great belvedere with views over the flood plains of the Lot.
Château de Biron
This was the largest chateau in the Périgord region and is still in great nick. It fell into disrepair a number of times but was a private home from 1940 – 1970 ( I can just imagine the swinging 70’s parties in those massive stone ballrooms and out on the belvederes overlooking the verdant valleys) then again fell into disrepair in the 80’s and council bought it and keeps it now as a historic site, for concerts and exhibitions. It is a real taste of the life of the lords – just look at the size of the kitchen below.
Chateau de Bonaguil
Château de Bonaguil emerges from a rocky region of steep hills and red earth and is strewn across three rocky outcrops. It is a bastide – a fortified castle, that was built on three different rock outcrops over three periods. Starting in 1271 and right up until the 18th Century. In 1795 the French Revolution ordered all towers be torn down and castles be levelled down to the main dwelling height.
Fumel acquired the castle in 1860 and has maintained it ever since -it’s a great crumbling example of the demise of the reign of Lords and Royalty over the lands.
These 5 bastide towns make a good loop trip as they are all within 10-30 mins of each other:
Monflanquin
Only 25 mins from our place this treasure of a bastide town from the 13th century is trés local and not at all touristy. It has a market on Thursday mornings with a great mix of fruit and vegies, charcuterie and flowers plus artisan sweets, olives & prunes (specialties of the area), leather and soap (also specialties of the area).
It uses a lot of limestone in its construction so has a light airy look and there’s some cracker belvederes with picnic tables for lunch with a view!
Pujoles
I’m going to let you guess how our Australian Maps navigator pronounced this town (think language of a 3-year-old boy!) It is only 10 mins from Monflanquin and it wins the town of the day as it is such a compact, beautifully presented, pretty little mediaeval hamlet with lots of sumptuous restaurants, a stunning bell tower gateway, an old church with lovely frescoes and beautiful vistas over the verdant valleys from all sides. Totally unspoilt, no tourists, quiet and classy.
Villeneuve-sur-Lot
This is a big bastide town spanning both sides of the Lot with a tour marking its boundaries on each side and big magnificent en-tous-cas red Eglise Saint-Catherine-d’Alexandrie which boasts an ornate, extremely tall tour off its side. The town was closed up for the May 9th Ascension day holiday, so it was eerily quiet with only a handful of Taco shops (takeaway fast food) and Moroccan restaurants open. Pics of church and tower, the Lot and the main square
Tournon d’Agenais
What a lovely bastide town with an incredibly large belfry with an incongruous ‘moon’ clock – you can climb up the belfry and learn about how the lunar clock works. The town was soaked in sunshine and we loved walking the bright limestone streets and admiring the view over the valley from the Belvedere which was replete with roses. The old fortified walls of the bastide are still standing and theres a pretty walking path around the outside of town where you can see the stonemasons work still standing.
Penne d’Agenais
This is another fortified town just down the road from Tournon (above) but this time perched even higher up on a big hill. The streets are full of painters, potters, woodworkers and all sorts of clever artists worth taking a look at (we bought a lovely wooden fruit bowl). If you make the effort to climb all the way to the top you’ll be rewarded with the amazing views and the beautiful sight indoors and out of the church of Notre-Dame-de-Peyragude!
Finally, here’s a couple of towns that deserve a day out on their own:
Cahors
This is a big town with a smaller medieval town tucked within. The Lot loops around the town, making it into an oblong shaped island with the medieval town along the south eastern side where you’ll also find the towering La Pont Valentré – a 14th century six-span fortified stone arch bridge which is the symbol of the city. The small side streets are quite lovely and open out on to secret gardens and little squares. Definitely worth a half day visit/
Rocamadour
This sacred village carved high into the limestone plateau of the Causse de Gramat carved out by the Alzou river. It is built on three levels and features stone houses hanging on to the cliff edge, churches and chapels, huge towers and a keep all cascading down the cliff sides. It has 4 stone gates and 216 wide stone steps taking you from the lower pedestrian only town (sadly now filled with touristy crepes, glaces and lolly shops as well as wine, fois gras and walnut cakes all very overpriced) up to the Sanctuary with 8 chapels around an open square. It is an important site on the Pilgrim of Saint -James and a few hardy hikers came through when we were there. The highlight for us was to walk to the very top of the ramparts and along the stone path to L’Hopitalet to view the town from above (see middle photograph) then walk back through and down.
