The Château de Biron, in the Dordogne region of France, has something for everyone: it’s associated with historical figures who played a role in some of the “grands moments” of French history, it has ties to the pervasive wars that wracked the country during the Middle Ages, and today it preserves a cluster of buildings that are like a “living library” of medieval architectural styles. At times, when you’re driving through the “deep heart of France”, you may get the impression there’s an old castle (or the ruins of one) on almost every hill. The French Ministry of Culture maintains an official database listing 10,000 to 12,000 of these officially recognized as historic monuments; the people promoting tourism put […]
Exploring the Deep Heart of France: From the Markets of Sarlat to the Medieval Splendor of the Dordogne
Few regions in France capture the imagination quite like the Dordogne. It’s a landscape of storybook villages, stone castles, and lush river valleys—where the past feels close enough to touch. There are a thousand places to see here, but there’s no better place to start than Sarlat-le-Canéda, the vibrant capital of the Périgord Noir. From there, you can easily reach some of the country’s most beautiful and historic sites, including the mighty fortress of Beynac, the elegant Château de Hautefort, and the perfectly preserved bastide town of Monpazier. I’ve written elsewhere about all the reasons why it’s a great idea to visit Sarlat-le-Canéda, the perfectly preserved medieval town in the heart of the Périgord Noir. It’s one of France’s most […]
La Couvertoirade is one of France’s “Most Beautiful Villages” with a Templar history
There are plenty of reasons to visit La Couvertoirade – its rich history with the Templars and the Hospitallers, its status as one of France’s “most beautiful villages”, and its distinctive medieval architecture. But one other thing about the place caught my attention, too… I’m not an engineer myself, but the best years of my professional life were those I spent working alongside some of the finest engineers to be found in French and American industry. I like to think that their approach to the world – heavy on data and analytical problem-solving – rubbed off on me in some ways. In any event, working with them gave me a deep and enduring respect for how people have analyzed and […]
An ancient, dark landmark dominates the skyline of Clermont-Ferrand
Widely known as “the Black Cathedral” in Clermont-Ferrand, the Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption has a distinctive appearance and a rich history that are unique in France. I can’t believe it’s taken me so long to write about a landmark that is prominent in all my memories of life in the deep heart of France: the Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-l’Assomption, perched atop a steep volcanic butte in the medieval center of Clermont-Ferrand. That city will always be my home away from home when I’m in France, and I’ve written often about why Clermont is one of the best places to live in France, and about why we love the town so much. I’ve written about that one forgotten day when Clermont was the capital of France, […]
I only understood later how extraordinary my visit to Lavoute-Polignac had been
The Chateau de Lavoute-Polignac may not be an « essential » stop for tourists, but my visit there last summer was packed with interesting surprises. What I value most in my travels around France are the experiences, sometimes surprising, sometimes peculiar, sometimes intensely pleasurable, that remind us there’s more to traveling than getting a generic selfie in front of the Eiffel Tower with thousands of other tourists. In his remarkable book, Rediscovering Travel: A Guide for the Globally Curious, Seth Kugel talks about why getting away from the beaten path can be more rewarding than visiting well-known monuments. And he focuses on how the people you encounter can turn a normal tourist experience into a richer, more memorable experience: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3MlUr0LV40
Capendac is officially “one of the most beautiful villages in France”
Capendac is a medieval fortress and a survivor of centuries of war, surrounded by spectacular views of the Lot River valley. One of the local tourism sites calls it “a slender village on a meander of the Lot”, but as I walk through the Roman and medieval sites of Capendac-la-Haut other words come to mind: “steep”, “ancient”, “calm”, and…did I mention “steep”? But no matter which adjectives you apply, they all connect somehow to the 30 criteria required to join the elite association of “The Most Beautiful Villages in France” – that’s why this little town was accepted as a member in 2010.
Discover Figeac – a window into the 12th century in the deep heart of France
Figeac is a well-restored medieval village southern France – still vibrant in the 21st century, and one of the “most beautiful detours”” in the country! I know it’s neither cool nor politically correct to say you’ve “discovered” a place that has existed for 1,500 years and that has its full share of visitors wandering through the streets on any given summer day.
Visit Montsalvy – an ancient “Sanctuary City” in the Deep Heart of France
Montsalvy was created a thousand years ago to be a “place of refuge” in the Cantal wilderness, deep in the heart of France – but the logic behind that choice might surprise you! The concept of a “sanctuary city” is often in the U.S. news these last few years, and it usually evokes a particular response depending on which side of our political divide you sit. (And if you’re not American, I’d be interested in hearing from you in the comments about what the idea means to you!) On this side of the Atlantic, the phrase has only been in broad use since about 1980, when it came to describe a state or local government that declines to share information […]
Lupin is back for Season 3 – does it have roots in the deep heart of France’s Auvergne?
Karen and I loved every episode of the first 2 seasons of Lupin, the French series that jumped to the top of the Netflix charts around the world. Now it’s back for a third season, with another great “heist” story – but it’s really the character of Arsanne Diop (the modern-day incarnation of Lupin) that makes the series worth watching. He’s a “gentleman thief”, a Robin-Hood hero who operates outside the law but is driven by a bigger sense of justice and “doing the right thing”. (Think The Equalizer but with elegance and a tongue-in-cheek sense of humor.) The series also makes for an excellent opportunity to practice your French, if you’re inclined that way; you can watch it dubbed […]
Visit Puymartin – the castle haunted by the White Lady
To be clear: I don’t believe in ghosts, I don’t care much for ghost stories, and I’ve never written about one for this blog. Still, if any of the places I’ve visited in the deep heart of France ever had a legitimate claim to harboring a ghost, it must surely be the lovely Chateau du Puymartin in the Périgord Noir, only 6 km (3.6 miles) from Sarlat-la-Canéda. Karen and I spent a pleasant morning there in June, and even though the site exploits the incredible story of “the White Lady” to the max, the castle is an interesting and rewarding place to visit for plenty of other reasons. As with so many of the fortified châteaux in this part of […]
