La Roque Gageac - Dordogne, France travel

Visitez La Roque Gageac : gites | hotels | location des voitures | explore Dordogne

La Roque Gageac ('most beautiful villages of the Dordogne') is 8 km south of Sarlat, on the Dordogne River

Tourist Information

La Roque-Gageac is in a magnificent location. Often little more than a row of riverside houses squeezed between the Dordogne river in front and sheltered below the overhanging cliffs behind, it is truly a 'picture postcard' village.

In other places the medieval houses find space to spread up the hill a little, towards the troglodyte caves set in the cliffs above.

The narrow streets of La Roque-Gageac also pass through an interesting tropical garden as they climb. The palm trees and banana plants are possible to grow because the village is south facing and protected from north winds by the cliffs.

Not surprisingly, this great beauty, and being a 'most beautiful village of France', and winning the 'prettiest village in France contest' competition, and being in the heart of the Dordogne, means there is a price to pay for La Roque Gageac village in terms of visitor numbers. A car park bigger than the village itself, for example. and above, I forgot to mention the (busy in summer) road that squeezes between the houses and the river.

But as with many of the villages listed on this site, that should not discourage you. It should encourage you perhaps to arrive early at La Roque-Gageac, to avoid the coaches that arrive later in the day, but come you should. It really is as beautiful as you would hope for.

Nearby

Canoe trips along the Dordogne River usually pass next to La Roque-Gageac, making for a lovely approach to the village as you drift along with the flow.

Chateau de Montfort is east of the village.