Sarlat is a medieval city in the south-east of the Dordogne region, which leaves no visitor indifferent. The capital of the Périgord Noir region blends styles from different periods, from the Middle Ages to the 16th century.
For those of you who read us regularly, I’m originally from Périgueux, the capital of the Dordogne, about 1h15 from Sarlat, so I know this department (almost) by heart. I’ve always fallen in love with Sarlat and I still love wandering around there at any time of year.
Sarlat will certainly ring a bell, as it’s the third most filmed city in France . This city of exceptional charm is also classified as a City of Art and History, with 66 classified monuments.
Below, we’ve put together our top 10 must-sees and must-do’s in Sarlat, as well as our ideal walking itinerary, to help you plan your Sarlat stay! We hope you will enjoy Sarlat as much as we do!
What to do and see in Sarlat ? our top 10
- Sarlat from the air, in the bell tower of the former Eglise Sainte Marie
- Birthplace ofEtienne de la Boétie, a town of Stars
- Sarlat and its film sets
- The famous statute of the geese in bronze, the goose is the emblem of Sarlat.
- Gastronomic markets that will make you want to taste everything
- Summer evening entertainment to liven up the evenings
- Sarlat by night: as soon as night falls, thegaslights come on, and then the magic happens!
- Place de la liberté, the heart of Sarlat
- The unusual Lanterne des morts building
- The many events that will keep you coming back for more!
1. Sarlat vue du ciel
Take the height to admire Sarlat seen from the sky, embark on a glass elevator located in the bell tower of the old Church of St. Mary that will climb to about 40 meters high to have a 360 degree view of Sarlat.
This feat is the work of the architect Jean Nouvel who spent his childhood in Sarlat, a city of art, history and STARS!
2. Maison natale d’Etienne de la Boétie
Découvrez l’imposante maison natale d’Etienne de la Boétie, située en plein centre médiéval, vous ne pourrez pas la rater !
3. Décors de cinéma
Stroll along the cobbled streets to rediscover the medieval settings used in many French films, such as “Les Visiteurs” and “Jeanne d’arc”…
4. Un petit “Selfoie”
Take a selfie or a picture with the famous bronze geese, the emblems of Sarlat, located on the market square.
5. Les marchés gastronomiques
Meet local producers and try one of the many Périgord specialties at Sarlat’s outdoor and indoor markets.
Sarlat’s year-round market is held behind the large doors of the former Sainte-Marie church, and in winter the truffle and fat markets are held here.
This former church has been rehabilitated into a covered market, once again by Jean Nouvel. You won’t be able to miss its imposing and magnificent 15-meter high double door.
6. Animations nocturnes estivales
Take advantage of the summer evening entertainment– there’s no programme, just stroll through the old town of Sarlat and you’ll come face to face with street artists who really liven up the town, its streets and squares.
7. Sarlat de nuit
As soon as night falls, the gaslightscome on in the historic and medieval center, and the magic begins to happen. It’s time to rediscover Sarlat.
8. La Place de la liberté, le centre animé de Sarlat
Prendre un verre place de la liberté, située au cœur du centre historique, pour observer la vie locale.
9. La somptueuse Lanterne des morts
Observe the Lantern of the Dead, an unusual 10-metre-high building located behind the cathedral.
10. Les événements pour revenir toute l’année
In the Dordogne, we love to party, there’s always something going on somewhere, and in Sarlat too, of course, the many cultural and gastronomic events set the town alight throughout the year:
- January: it’s the feast of the truffle, the black diamond of Périgord.
- March: Sarlat celebrates the goose, a weekend of festivities around the emblem of the Sarlat region: the goose
- May: local produce days
- July and August: street artists bring the town to life.
- September: Sarlat celebrates its gastronomy once again with the Taste and Gastronomy Days. As well as the Night of the Heritage, an evening during which all the streets of the city are illuminated with candles, in short an evening where the magic operates!
- November: the film festival.
- December: the sublime Christmas market in the heart of theold Sainte-Marie church.
Notre itinéraire à pied pour visiter le centre médiéval
This is the most interesting part of Sarlat. You’ll certainly get a sense of uniformity as you explore its historic center, as all the buildings are made of stone in golden hues and the sloping roofs are built with lauzes (limestone slabs). Come on, we’ll take you with us!
Start your exploration of the medieval center at the impressive Saint-Sacerdos cathedral (A), where you can visit the interior free of charge, then continue on to the Maison de la Boetie (B), almost opposite, and stroll along rue Montaigne to the circular building La lanterne des morts, (C) a sepulchral chapel of original architecture.
Then take Landry Street to the Presidial (D), the seat of royal justice from the 16th to the 18th century, then take rue Fénelon and stop at the passage Gérard de Barry (E), to admire the beautiful mansion and stop place de la liberté (F), the nerve center of Sarlat, to admire the town hall.
Enjoy the outdoor market and the covered market in theformer Sainte-Marie church (G). It’s time to take the elevator to see Sarlat from the sky.
Don’t forget to take a selfie or a photo of Sarlat’s emblem, the goose, in front of the bronze statute (H). The Manoir de Gisson is located on this same square, then take the Rue des Consuls to thestaircase (I) which belonged to the ramparts that protected the town.
Finally, relax and enjoy local specialities in one of the many restaurants in the town center (our recommendation below).
TheTourist Office is located right in the historic center, 3 rue de Tourny, next to the huge Saint-Sacerdos Cathedral.
It takes about 2 hours to complete the 1.5km course!
Visit Sarlat with your family
To explore the medieval center with your family, you can download thefree mobile geocaching app: Terra aventure. The Le Périgord route is simply brilliant, with or without children!
How does Terra Aventura work? the application proposes routes in different places in New Aquitaine, players visualize their position on the map and must answer the riddles to advance from stage to stage. We love the principle of this application, because we are guided to explore the cities and we learn a lot about history, architecture, gastronomy… All this in a fun way, for young and old alike!
Our daughter is still a little small to fully enjoy it, we have tested it withother children and they love it every time!
Allow 2h30 to complete the entire route, which takes in the most emblematic sites of old Sarlat, and to find the treasure!
What are the specialties and what to bring back from Sarlat?
The culinary specialties in Dordogne Perigord are numerous and delicious, it is clearly not the time to start a diet!
- Black truffles offer an intense taste, and are tried and tested when grated into omelettes or butter.
- Geese and ducks, the star products of the Périgord, in confit, magret or foie gras, are always a delight in moderation!
- The Sarlatan potatoes that go wonderfully well with all meats
- Porcini mush rooms enhance Sarlat-style potatoes or omelettes
- Walnuts andwalnut oil that will season all your appetizers
- And of course, don’t forget to accompany all these delicious dishes with local wines.
Practical information (hotel, restaurants, parking…)
Where to park in Sarlat ?
Nous avons été agréablement surpris, pour une fois, la mairie consacre une page détaillée et très clair sur les différentes zones de stationnement autour de Sarlat en indiquant précisément les périodes payantes et gratuites.
Here is the map you can find on the page, the blue zones offer free parking all year long. The other areas are Free parking between 12:00 and 2:00 pm (except on rue de la République) and the first hour of parking is free all year long.
Où manger à Sarlat ?
For those of you who follow us, you know that we love coming back to the Dordogne to eat. We’re lucky to have such a great offer, with so many chefs who know how to sublimate the products of our beloved terroir!
- Coin coin: it is a must during your stay in Sarlat, which proposes refined tapas, carefully prepared with local products: croquettes of duck confit, croque with truffle… an address not to be missed in Sarlat.
- La Galerie: a snack bar that offers a menu with two nice kebabs, a bowl of fries and a bowl of salad (in the evening 16€). An original address, with quality products, without breaking the bank.
- Maison Lissajoux : for breakfast or brunch in an incredible, tastefully-decorated venue, offering quality products and incredibly good, beautiful pastries. In short, look no further than this must-try bakery and patisserie during your stay.
- Le Comptoir Authentique: a store offering a wide range of local products, foie gras, terrines, walnut cake, walnut beer… and gourmet sandwiches to eat in or take away before exploring the Sarlat area!
Where to sleep?
Nous vous recommandons de séjourner à l’Hôtel Montaigne très bien situé, à 1 minute à pied du centre médiéval de Sarlat, vous pourrez visiter entièrement la ville à pied.
Les chambres sont spacieuses et très propres, le matelas était hyper confortable. There is air-conditioning, which was very appreciated during the hot summer days. Free parking in low season. In short, excellent value for money!
We advise you to book your accommodation in advance, as hotels fill up quickly during the school vacations and high season, as Sarlat is a very popular small town in summer!
Consulter les disponibilités de l’Hôtel Montaigne
What’s the difference between Sarlat-La-Caneda and Sarlat?
Ah, it’s the same town, Sarlat-la-Canéda is more commonly known as Sarlat, its little diminutive! In the Dordogne, we like to make life easier for ourselves and often call things two ways (like the Dordogne and the Périgord)!
What villages and sites to visit around Sarlat?
The Périgord Noir is packed with sites, from villages classified as “France’s most beautiful villages“, to ornate caves, chasms, gardens, castles, water sports and sporting activities, you’ll soon realize that one stay isn’t enough to discover it all! We recommend that you spend 3 days in and around Sarlat!
Lascaux IV
The unmissable, full replica of the Lascaux cave, the new site offers an immersive and interactive experience, the museum will appeal to young and old, 30 minutes north of Sarlat
Eyzies
Les Eyzies de Tayac is a village nestled in the cliffs, a mecca of the Périgord, with a prehistory museum and numerous decorated caves in the area, 30 minutes east of Sarlat.
Beynac-et-Cazenac
Beynac is famous for its castle, the backdrop for the film “Les Visiteurs“.
Don’t miss the castle of Castelnaud-la-Chapelle with its impressive fortified castle founded in the 12th century. They were rivals during the conflicts of the Middle Ages – 20 minutes south of Sarlat.
La Roque-Gageac et Domme
Two beautiful villages, La Roque Gageaca village nestled between the cliff and the river, then head for Domme10 minutes away, a village built on the heights of a cliff overlooking the Dordogne river, with a beautiful view over the Dordogne valley. These 2 villages are classified as “villages of the Dordogne”.France’s most beautiful villages“20 minutes south of Sarlat.
La Roque Gageac is the third most visited site in France after Mont-Saint-Michel and Rocamadour.
Cette excursion d’une demi-journée organisée dans la vallée de la Dordogne, au départ de Sarlat pourrait vous intéresser. Elle inclut les villages de Domme, La Roque Gageac et Beynac ainsi que le château de Beynac
Gouffre de Proumeyssac
This chasm will impress you with its depth and geological riches – 30 minutes west of Sarlat.
Pour les familles, le Père Noël rend visite aux enfants dans le gouffre en descendant par la nacelle, magie garantie, notre fille a adoré.
Jardins d’Eyrignac
Les Jardins d’Eyrignac sont subtilement travaillés, vous en ressortirez zen comme jamais ! 20 minutes au nord-est
La Dordogne
Explorer la Dordogne en canoë ou en Gabarre, en quelques coups de pagaie vous vous sentirez tout de suite ailleurs et cette balade vous offrira de beaux points de vue sur les châteaux et villages perchés.
Périgueux, la perle de la Dordogne
Périgueux est un passage obligatoire lors de votre séjour en Dordogne. Originaire de Périgueux, j’aime ma ville ainsi que la faire découvrir (notre article sur Périgueux) et je vous promets que vous ne serez pas déçus, la cathédrale Saint-Front et ses coupoles d’inspirations byzantine dominant fièrement la capitale du Périgord, est un monument à voir au moins une fois dans sa vie !
A little anecdote: the restoration of Saint-Front cathedral was carried out by Paul Abadie, the architect who went on to design the Sacré-Coeur basilica in Paris, so you’re sure to see a few similarities!
Take advantage of your visit to try the local specialties in one of the many restaurants of Périgueux located in the historical center!
We really enjoyed writing this article about a city and region we know (almost) by heart. If you liked this article, feel free to drop 5 stars below. We would like to thank our families and friends who have given us valuable advice. We also update this article regularly since we come to the Dordogne several times a year.
Feel free to drop us a note below to let us know if you are planning this trip, ask any questions or share on social media(our Instagram) we will be more than happy to respond!
