BELVES

Belvès has all you need in a local village. Two bakeries, mini-supermarket, butcher, grocer, hairdressers, post office as well as several bars and restaurants. Most of the shops are on the picturesque narrow high street which leads off the medieval covered market square, with its still-functioning stocks! The market square is the focal point of the village. Don’t miss the busy Saturday food and craft market. Have a coffee in one of the cafes around the square and watch the locals, and visitors, come and go. The square is also the venue for the Wednesday ‘night market’ – not a market as such but a festive communal eating event. The background of live French music and smells of freshly prepared food including specialities of the region. Bring your own cutlery, plates and glasses to truly enjoy the experience.

On your way up to the market square you will go inside the walls of the village and encounter the Troglodyte Caves – a visit for another day. Belvès is ideally situated in the region as it is equidistant from Sarlat and Bergerac the two largest towns in the area. Both are well worth a visit. Their ancient centres are wonderful settings for more upmarket restaurants and shops. Travelling to either town along the Dordogne is a pleasure as you take in the views of the region: the ancient castles and chateaux of the region most dating back to the 100 (+) year’s war between England and France. Yes, some of these castles are English. Built on opposite sides of the valley you can imagine the situation.
A visit to Castelnaud will show you some of the weapons used and a visit to Beynac will demonstrate its imposing position. These are far from the only important or interesting buildings in the area: Marqueyssac, Milandes, Biron, Abbeye de Cadouin are all worth a visit. The war also led to the development of fortified towns in the region.These were built on sites with natural defensive positions and then built to a plan.They are known as Bastide towns and were originally developed by the English side (if you call Henry 2 English). There are many such but probably the best examples are Domme and Monpazier both about 20 mins drive away.
Belvès is also in an ideal position for sporting activities. The Dordogne is not the only river, nor necessarily the most important one. The Vezère meets the Dordogne at the very pretty location of Limeuil. There is canoeing and kayaking on both rivers, as well as boat trips. The ideal conditions around the Vezère led to habitation by early man about 40,000 years ago and evidence of his existence is still visible at Les Eyzies. Fortunately some of those conditions have also inhibited any later industrialisation – the rivers are wide but they are also shallow and even have the occasional beach. This is perhaps the reason why the region is so unspoilt and an ideal spot to spend your vacation: ideal for walking, cycling, horse-riding, golf or just relaxing.