☰Sarlat

Sarlat is the ideal base for the Dordogne and Vézère valleys, and most of the region's best sights are within half an hour's drive. The clifftop châteaux are the classic outing: Château de Castelnaud, with its excellent museum of medieval warfare, and the rival Château de Beynac glowering at it across the river — the two are 10 to 12 kilometres west of town and easily combined in a single day.

North of Sarlat, in the Vézère valley, is the region's other unmissable trip: Lascaux IV, the full-scale replica of the prehistoric cave paintings near Montignac. Allow most of a half-day and book ahead in summer. A car makes all of this far easier; public transport in the valleys is sparse.

Sarlat is in the heart of Périgord Noir, one of France's great food regions. Duck confit, foie gras, truffles, cèpe mushrooms, and walnuts appear on almost every menu. The best restaurants are on the side streets off the main square — those directly on the Place de la Liberté tend to be pricier and more tourist-facing. The Saturday market is the place to buy provisions if you are self-catering.

La Rapière on the Rue de la Monnaie is a reliable choice for traditional Périgord cooking in a medieval vaulted room — the confit de canard and pommes sarladaises (potatoes cooked in duck fat) are the things to order. Booking is advisable in summer. The restaurant scene shuts down significantly outside the April–October season.

Sarlat is not easy to reach without a car, which is worth knowing before planning a visit. The nearest airports with useful connections are Bergerac (70 km west, Ryanair routes from several UK and European cities) and Bordeaux (175 km west, with national and international flights).

By train, the closest main-line station is Périgueux (70 km north), with connections to Paris Montparnasse (under 3 hours). A regional service links Périgueux to Sarlat, but it runs only a few times daily and the journey takes about 90 minutes. From the other direction, Les Eyzies station (on the Bordeaux–Sarlat line) is 20 km away.

The SNCF bus service from Sarlat station runs to Périgueux and to Souillac (rail connection to Paris via Brive). If arriving by train from Paris, Brive-la-Gaillarde (50 km east) has better connections and regular taxi or bus links to Sarlat.

For exploring the châteaux and caves of the surrounding area, a car is essentially mandatory.

Sarlat's medieval centre is compact enough to cover on foot. The Place de la Liberté and the streets radiating from it are the core; the cathedral quarter behind is quieter and more atmospheric. Day trips to the châteaux and prehistoric caves of the Dordogne and Vézère valleys are the natural extension, but the town itself rewards a full day of slow exploration.

The Dordogne is a summer destination and Sarlat its busiest node. July and August bring serious crowds — the narrow medieval streets can be almost impassably packed on a Saturday market morning in high season, and accommodation books out months in advance. If you can, avoid these months.

May, June, and September are significantly more pleasant: the weather is warm, the foliage is green or turning, and the restaurants and markets are operating at full capacity without the crush. October brings the walnut and truffle season, which adds another dimension to the market.

The truffle market runs from November to March on Saturday mornings — a serious trading event where wholesale buyers and restaurateurs negotiate over fresh Tuber melanosporum. It is not specifically aimed at tourists, but visitors are welcome to watch and buy.

Winters are quiet and cold. Many restaurants and hotels close from November to March. The medieval town in early December, when the Christmas market briefly fills the square, is worth the trip.