This morning we enjoyed the hotel's breakfast buffet before loading up our bikes and heading on our way. Again we were late starting as it was almost 11am. The fall morning temperatures warmed up and we were soon riding in just our jerseys. After 5kms we turned off the busy enough D703 at Cazoulès and the rest of the ride was pure bliss, cycling on the Promenade Périgord Quercy, a beautiful greenway and cycle route that is built on the path of the old railway line from Cazoulès to Sarlat. This is the first paved rail trail we have been on in weeks and it was heavenly to be cycling along with no thought of traffic. The path is smooth and straight passing through well-kept villages and farmer's fields. Farther along, the path is nestled in a micro climate of large overhanging trees trapping in moisture. It makes it feel jungle-like, with hanging vines and mossy covered rocks. It was cool and the air was fresh.
In no time we arrived in Sarlat and had a picnic lunch sitting in the Square de la 8 Mai, 1945 before finding our apartment for the next two nights in the historic centre. Walking the bikes along Rue de la République we were instantly enamoured with the town so we dropped off our bikes and headed out to explore. Sarlat is famous for being one of the best-preserved medieval cities in Europe. After the fun of discovering Martel in a self-guided walking tour, we found the tourist bureau, picked up a map and brochure for the tour of Sarlat.
The 15th - 16th C was the golden age of Sarlat. The social rise and access to nobility at the end of the Hundred Years War brought prosperity to the town. Then in the 17th-18th C, after the Wars of Religion, Sarlat experienced another period of growth. More recently and most importantly for the town, Sarlat was one of the first towns to benefit from France's 1962 Malraux Law which protects and improves architectural heritage of urban centres. In 1969 there were 34 simultaneous restoration worksites in the old center! Today as we walked around improvements to the old buildings continue. What a success story! The centre of the old town consists of impeccably restored stone buildings and is largely car-free. We were captivated by the layers of history preserved in the walls, roofs and windows. Everywhere we looked something caught our eye - Gothic mullioned windows, turrets and towers; a brilliantly repurposed church is the town's indoor market with its two enormous steel doors; the gorgeous Saint-Sacerdos 1752 organ, completely restored in 2005; noble's houses and hidden gardens. Also walking along we sampled delectable local foods. This Périgord area is a food lover's dream known for its famous foie gras and wine, as well as two of my faves - walnuts dipped in chocolate with a dusting of cocoa powder on top and everything made with truffles. We had fun in the fancy truffle store sampling truffles and parmesan, truffles and crème, truffles and mushrooms. Delicious!
So I hope that you are getting a sense of Sarlat, it's is a gem. We should be staying longer, there's so much to see and eat!
Lettuce for your next salad, growing by the Dordogne
A walnut sweeping machine in action. Looking closely, we could see a fan at the back blew off the leaves before they could get into the hold with the collected nuts.
On a walking tour of Sarlat we learned how many of the buildings were constructed by rich families wanting to have a city home. The windows on this one were particularly well decorated, a symbol of wealth and power in the 16th Century.
This 15th Century church was converted to a weapons factory after the Revolution. The Apse was taken down in 1815. In 2005 it was restored and turned into a hall with huge, steel doors that open on market days.
