Sarlat-la-Canéda Travel Guide

  creperie very nice
by edwis
 
  • creperie very nice
      creperie very nice
    by edwis
  • Looking down on Sarlat-La-Caneda
      Looking down on Sarlat-La-Caneda
    by balhannah
  • The old town of Sarlat-La-Caneda
      The old town of Sarlat-La-Caneda
    by balhannah
  • Love this little guy!
      Love this little guy!
    by Beausoleil
  • Bramefond Railway Viaduct
      Bramefond Railway Viaduct
    by balhannah
 

Pro

royalempress profile photo

  A interesting town that is loaded with tourists 


Con

hquittner profile photo

  The Less You Plan Ahead, the More You will Miss 


In a nutshell

hquittner profile photo

  More Than Food 

 

Explore Sarlat-la-Canéda

Things to Do  

Lanterne des Morts

Lanterne des Morts, Sarlat-la-Canéda

 King_Golo Says:  I had never heard of a "lantern of the dead" before I came to Sarlat and was therefore curious when I found this term on the map. In the case of Sarlat, the "lanterne des morts" is a bullet-shaped 12th-century building located on the former graveyard of the cathedral. It is... 

Place de la Liberté

Place de la Liberté, Sarlat-la-Canéda

 King_Golo Says:  Place de la Liberté is the heart of the medieval city: a large square lined by cafés, souvenir shops and other touristy stuff. Nonetheless, it has kept its beauty. The rather uncommon shape (a little bit like a lying "P") makes the square look different from every angle. The... 

Walking around

Walking around, Sarlat-la-Canéda

 King_Golo Says:  Sarlat is best discovered on foot. All of the town's main sights lie within the boundaries of the cité médiévale (medieval city) which only measures some 300x300m. A good starting point is the tourist information centre located on Place du Peyrou just next to the cathedral... 

SIGNAGE & MORE!

SIGNAGE & MORE!, Sarlat-la-Canéda

 balhannah Says:  Walking these, old, medieval towns, I always look upwards, as well as every other direction! I guess it is just a matter of time before I crash into somebody!What I like, is the old style signs, I find them interesting!Then there are the rooves, they can be turreted, round,... 

MANOR DE GISSON

MANOR DE GISSON, Sarlat-la-Canéda

 balhannah Says:  If you are in the "Geese Square," [previous tip], then you are right next to Manor de Gisson.The Manor was built in the 13th century, and is built in two different architectural styles. There are two buildings, that are joined together by a staircase in the hexagon tower!... 

PLACE DES OIES

PLACE DES OIES, Sarlat-la-Canéda

 balhannah Says:  Place Des Oies is the name of a square where a market is held specialising in goose products from December to March. Located in the centre, surrounded by turreted old building's, is a nice bronze sculpture of three Geese. 

SARLAT-LA-CANEDA PUBLIC GARDENS

SARLAT-LA-CANEDA PUBLIC GARDENS, Sarlat-la-Canéda

 balhannah Says:  Near where we parked our Car, were the Public Gardens. From the outside, they looked quite nice! I followed the Tree lined roadway, and found a Band Rotunda, a walled garden, children's playground, and a walkway up to what was a good viewpoint over Sarlat. Great views of the... 

CATHEDRAL SAINT SACERDOS

CATHEDRAL SAINT SACERDOS, Sarlat-la-Canéda

 balhannah Says:  The beautiful Cathedral St. Sacerdos, was once part of the Benedictine Abbey, which dated to the 12th century. It has unusual architecture, as over the years, it has been rebuilt in Roman, Gothic and other styles! The cathedral was originally the church of Sarlat Abbey. It... 

LANTERN DES MORTS

LANTERN DES MORTS, Sarlat-la-Canéda

 balhannah Says:  This is a conical, towered building that I could often see on my walk. I had to find it, and I did!"Lantern des Morts" actually stands for "Lantern of the Dead, " or "St. Bernards Tower."Built in the 12th century, its origins and actual function are unknown. It reminded me a... 

BOETIE MANSION

BOETIE MANSION, Sarlat-la-Canéda

 balhannah Says:  On my walk through the streets of Sarlat, I came across this rather unusual looking building. It is known as the Boetie Mansion. It was built in 1525 in Italian Renaissance style by an Antoine de la Boetie. His son Etienne, born there in 1530, was a famous French writer.It... 

Hotels  

La Villa des Consuls

 1 Review and 136 Opinions  This hotel offers both rooms and apartments. We stayed in the apartment Montaigne which included two... 

Hotel Altica Sarlat

 1 Review and 0 Opinions  The Hotel Altica was located on our way into Sarlat-La-Caneda. It looked ok from the outside, and... 

Restaurants  

Hotel-Restaurant Le Perigord: Culinary magic in the countryside

Hotel-Restaurant Le Perigord: Culinary magic in the countryside, Sarlat-la-Canéda

 Beausoleil Says:  A Logis de France hotel set in a beautiful garden with a pool, tennis and parking. It is an easy walk to the Dordogne River and a 5-10 minute drive to Domme and La Roque Gageac . . . or Cenac et St. Julien where we had rented a small farmhouse.The owner of Le Perigord and... 

Auberge de Mirandol: Really fun restaurant right in Old Town

Auberge de Mirandol: Really fun restaurant right in Old Town, Sarlat-la-Canéda

 Beausoleil Says:  When we paid l’addition (the bill), the heretofore French-speaking waiter announced in perfect English, “You can visit the cave if you like.” pointing to a glass door inside the restaurant. Hm . . . curiosity got the better of me so I walked back, opened the glass door and... 

Transportation  

Free Parking -- lots of it

Free Parking -- lots of it, Sarlat-la-Canéda

 Beausoleil Says:  Sarlat-le-Canéda is one of the most picturesque villages in the Dordogne and has a wonderful market that people love to visit. If you drive, you need to put your car someplace and while there is pay parking available, there is a huge free parking lot just above the Old Town... 

Shopping  

several: Funny Souvenirs

several: Funny Souvenirs, Sarlat-la-Canéda

 King_Golo Says:  I normally don't advertise souvenir shops as they tend to sell the usual bric-a-brac and are the same no matter if you are in Paris or Panama. But then you sometimes come across a lovely shop selling local handicrafts of the finest (and in this case) funniest kind.... 

AUX BONHUERS: Patchwork & Teddies

AUX BONHUERS: Patchwork & Teddies, Sarlat-la-Canéda

 balhannah Says:  This was a shop I came across on my walk in Sarlat. A few years ago, making Teddy Bears was very popular, something, I can't do, but even so, I love looking at them. This shop had lots of Teddies, all very nicely done, and would make a lovely gift for a child. Check it out! 

Local Customs  

Protection from Harm

Protection from Harm, Sarlat-la-Canéda

 hquittner Says:  In many ancient European cities, niches and pedestals are placed on the walls of buildings (especially at street corners) to house statuettes of the Madonna, which were believed to provide protection from evil doers. In our city they are instead installing “crime cameras”,... 

Off The Beaten Path  

BRAMEFOND RAILWAY VIADUCT

BRAMEFOND RAILWAY VIADUCT, Sarlat-la-Canéda

 balhannah Says:  The Bramefond Railway Viaduct is located just 28kms away from Sarlat La Caneda, at the Town of Souillac.This huge Viaduct has 14 arches, is 320 metres long, 44 metres high, and was built in 1882, by Jean Vilette. We stopped and had a closer look at this masterpiece!It is... 

VISIT LA ROUQUE GAGEAC

VISIT LA ROUQUE GAGEAC, Sarlat-la-Canéda

 balhannah Says:  Just 12kms away from Sarlat, is the 300 year old "Most beautiful village" of La Rouque Gageac.This is a gorgeous village, situated alongside the Dordogne river. High walled cliff's, tower above the riverside homes. The golden yellow houses line the river and spread up the... 

Favorites  

TOURIST MAP OF THE OLD TOWN

TOURIST MAP OF THE OLD TOWN, Sarlat-la-Canéda

 balhannah Says:  The best way to make sure you see everything, is to do what I did, pick up a map from the Tourist Office. The map shows the Medieval part of town, and all the sights of interest. On the other side, is another map showing the area outside of the medieval area.This is a town... 

CAR PARK

CAR PARK, Sarlat-la-Canéda

 balhannah Says:  A car park is quite often hard to find in French Villages and Cities. At Sarlat, we parked in the Place m. Albe car-park. You buy a ticket from the machine, and place it in your Car window.This park was in a good position. Just a few steps away was the Lanterne Des Morts and... 

 
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The Place

Plan a Sarlat-la-Canéda vacation with reviews, tips and photos posted by real travelers and Sarlat-la-Canéda locals

Experience Sarlat-la-Canéda
  •   76 Tips and Reviews
  •  215 Photos
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Map of Sarlat-la-Canéda
 

The People

2 Members Live Here
 
Our Members Say
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 We started our walk around Sarlat at the Place des Oies (Goose Market Square). We did this to honor the singular poultry preoccupation of the region (with a... 

2 members live in Sarlat-la-Canéda

 

Questions and Answers

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Q:  I'm planning to base myself for a week in Sarlat and take day trips out to the various points of interest. Will I be able to... 

pecorino profile photo

A: Sorry I forgot to mention that I'd like to do a gastronomic tour to areas like Monpazier, Collonges la Rouge, etc. Are these placesreachable by bus? 

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Top Sarlat-la-Canéda Writers

1

Sarlat ~ Capital of the Perigord Noir

Canadienne profile photo

 Home to a maze of old lanes, some lovely private courtyards, great architectural details and a fantastic twice-weekly market, Sarlat deserves at least a brief stop during travels in this region. 

2

A Carefully Preserved Medieval Town

hquittner profile photo

 Sarlat (pop. 10K) conjoined with la Caneda is the capitol of the Perigord Noir and has retaained by careful restoration its ancient medieval and Renaissance charms to become the fourth most heavily...... 

3

SARLAT-LA-CANEDA

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 Where to begin! This town is so lovely with it's narrow, cobblestone streets, I could hardly tear myself away! 

4

Picturesque, fun and friendly

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 Sarlat is a pretty large town in the Dordogne region and when you drive into it, there is no indication what lies one block off the main street. Follow signs to copious free parking up on the hill... 

5

Sarlat - Périgord Noir Region

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 I've got some interesting experiences in Sarlat-la-Canéda. I'd love to share with you the 5 tips I've written, the 8 photos uploaded, and 0 travelogues I've created. 

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