Drive through the Dordogne Valley - from Domme to Bergerac (France Part 6)

We started our drive along the banks of the Dordogne River in Domme. Domme is one of the best-preserved 13th-century
bastides.

The narrow streets are not suitable for driving by car, but they are very charming for pedestrians. Today, the old houses are occupied by restaurants and shops, attracting numerous tourists based on the available parking.

Next to the streets, we also saw an old mill, but only sparse remains of the former fortress were preserved.

From the surrounding walls of the city, there was a very beautiful view of the surroundings.

Our drive took us further to La Roque-Gageac, which was built directly on the steep slope.

Some rock dwellings could still be seen at a height of 40 meters, which were created in the 12th century. The defense system was so effective that the place was never taken by the English.

We only saw the Castelnaud Castle from a distance and did not visit the Museum of Siege History since we only had one day for the drive.

But we did drive to the Beynac Castle, a medieval fortress.

We explored it during a guided tour.

From the keep, there was a beautiful view of the surrounding valley.

Below the castle lies the village of Beynac-et-Cazenac, where we took a short - but exhausting due to the steepness of the streets - walk.

Slightly off the Dordogne River, we also drove to the monastery in Cadouin, famous for its cloister. We also had time for a short wine tasting there.

Back on the Dordogne, it formed a horseshoe-shaped loop called 'Cingle de Trémolat', which we saw from a viewpoint. Then we followed the river to Bergerac.

In Bergerac, we took a walk through the medieval old town the next morning.

Of course, we also saw two statues of the city's famous namesake - Cyrano de Bergerac - although it is unlikely that the historical figure ever visited here, even though the tourism agency promotes it.

Statue of Cyrano de Bergerac

Since it was market day, there was a lot of activity around the cathedral. We also bought fresh baguette and very pungent cheese at the market.