I left Blois early in the morning right after a quick breakfast in the hotel. From Blois to Sarlat La Canéda is a long road, more than 6 hours by train with a 2-hour transit in St-Pierre-des-Corps. The train station in Sarlat is small, so upon arrival, if we need a taxi, we have to call them. There’s a notice on the wall next to the entrance with some taxi numbers. I called one of them, and they picked me up in just 10 minutes, and another 10 minutes to reach the fairy tale old town Sarlat-La-Canéda.
Place du Peyrou – Downtown of Sarlat at night.
I booked an apartment on the 4th floor of a very old house, built in the 16th century, my flat right under the roof, no elevator, of course, in the building that has survived more than 5 centuries. And for the first time in my life, I rented this place for only 2 nights, but I had to sign a paper to make sure no damage was done during my stay!
The entrance to my apartment on 4th floor…
here you are – my room under the roof with those small windows…
and the full-equiped kitchen but I just boiled the water for my coffee and tea.
Sarlat-La-Canéda (or simply Sarlat) is an amazing old medieval town in the southwest of France. When I first saw it on the internet, I thought, “Yeah, looks nice! Let’s go!” But when I arrived, I was very impressed. I’d love to name it “The Golden Pearl” due to the unique color of the old sandstone houses in this town.
The main door of the old house that in the photo below…
The town was first born probably in the 8th century and prospered for several centuries, witnessing a lot of severe historic changes, suffering even during the war times in the 14th century, but many amazing monuments dating back to the 13th century still stand and await our visit, especially those numerous townhouses and chapels…
one of my favourite houses in Sarlat…
The grey balcony in the photo is a last row of seats of a small amphitheater
The colour of the roofs, it changes from grey in North to red in South…
The unique building“Lantern of the Death” from 14th century served as a funeral chapel.
from my place to the center – only 5′ walk along this street
I found the restaurant with a nice garden behind the closed gates on the other side
Place de Peyrou – the heart of the old town
with a lot of souvenir shops, restaurants and street performers
Crossing Place du Peyrou, the cathedral on the left and the hotel de LaBoetie on the right.
The hotel named after Étienne Laboetie, who was born in this house in 1550.
I kept wandering around this old town, carrying my camera bag. After hours and hours, my bag really challenged my endurance. I even took a 15-minute break and continued my walk along these small, winding cobbled alleys. You never get lost in the maze of this medieval town; it’s a small town, and wherever you go, sooner or later you’ll find the light and your old path.
Just follow these cobbled streets; it always leads you to another new discovery…
Many shops were closed and the streets – empty during weekend
the restaurant with a notice – wine is served only during lunch (!?) also closed.
Always found some cozy dining places in some corner of these winding alleys, here or…
or here, opposite some “mechanic” souvenir shop
or here in some courtyard
and here – another terrace with dining tables in small corner.
Sarlat is famous for the foie gras and the truffle. Many shops sell foie gras at big discounts. I would love to get some, but Sarlat is still my very first stop on my journey around France, and I didn’t want to carry those things along the trip.
The famous foie gras – liver from fattened geese or duck.
and it explains why they have their own statue in Place du Marché des Oies.
You notice a black man sitting at the other end?
it’s HIM, a statue of a unknown idler, I love the way he has been displayed.
all small alleys look like a big maze, turn right, turn left…and still on the same spot…
another street appeared in front of me, I kept going…
and here another alley, surprisingly found my door on the right – the entrance to my flat
more people were coming out for dinner or drink at night
the quiet old town seemed to be revived with the music from street artists…
or another artist with his smart dog…
The night lights, the noises from the crowds make the downtown more lively, but many other corners and alleys are already in their sleep as they always have been for hundreds of years. There were not many things to entertain in this medieval place at night, but having a good dinner with a good drink, to immerse yourself in the relaxing atmosphere surrounding you, would bring peace to your soul.
Sarlat-la-Canéda, definitely unusual. I got the feeling that I stepped into a fairy tale town; I kept wondering how people are able to maintain those sandstone houses, all lovely corners, quiet alleys with small statues or secret places. I saw people wandering around, admiring the beauty of the surviving buildings, listening to their historical, mysterious stories…
I still have one more night in Sarlat, tomorrow morning I’ll visit one of the most beautiful villages in France – La Roque Gageac.
Le petit renard 