Sarlat-la-Canéda

Sarlat (as it's usually known) defines enchantment. If you're planning a trip to the many prehistoric caves and the amazing perched villages near this gorgeous town, then this capital of the Périgord Noir is the place to stay. It's ideally located, with Les Eyzies de Tayac, Montignac, and Lascaux to its north and Beynac et Cazenac, Domme, and La Roque-Gageac just to its south. Even Rocamadour, to the southeast on the D704, which connects with the D673 isn't all that far from here and Cahors is a straight shot south on the A20 péage (toll road) or the more scenic (and longer) N20.

Tucked among hills adorned with corn and wheat, Sarlat is a beautiful, well-preserved medieval town that, despite attracting huge numbers of visitors, has managed to retain some of its true character. With its storybook streets, Sarlat's Cité Médiévale is filled most days with tour groups, and is especially hectic on Saturday, market day: all the geese on sale are proof of the local addiction to foie gras. To do justice to the town's golden-stone splendor, wander through its medieval streets in the late afternoon or early evening, aided by the tourist office's walking map. The tourist office (Rue Tourny 05-53-31-45-45) also organizes walking tours, which for EUR 5 give you an in-depth look at the town's medieval buildings.

The end of the Hundred Years' War (1453) favored the construction of beautiful urban architecture in the Dordogne, but Sarlat was especially favored: when the region was handed back to the French king by the English, he rewarded the town with royal privileges for its loyalty to his crown. Before long, a new merchant class sprang up, building gabled and golden-stoned mansions in the latest French Renaissance style. It's no surprise to learn that only Nice and Paris have had more films shot in their locales than Sarlat; Lasse Hallstrom's Chocolat(2000) and Luc Besson's The Messenger (1999) are some of the more recent and better known of the more than 45 movies that have used the town as a backdrop. Also, every year in November the town actually has its own film festival with comedians, film stars, producers, and film technicians arriving to host an informational get-together for 500 students. In addition, there's a theater festival here mid-July to the end of August.