The medieval town of Belvès in the Périgord Noir is classified as one of the most beautiful villages in France. Perched on a hill approximately 20 kms form Sarlat, it has loads of interesting buildings and pretty houses built out of golden stone. Together with its cute cobbled streets and breath-taking views, it’s a must-see in the Dordogne. The name of the town literally translates to “beautiful view”.

Belvès has a lot of history. It suffered greatly during the 100 years war and the wars of religion. It is famous for being the town of seven bell towers. The main square has an impressive 15^th century covered market hall where the wholesale walnut market takes place in October and November. There are caves underneath the main square that you can visit. The main square could easily be used as a film set, it is that impressive.

Visiting Belvès on a winter’s Sunday morning reminded me of what an amazing part of the world I live in…the natural beauty of the countryside surrounding the town, the rich history and culture. But what I also enjoyed just as much about visiting this little town was that there was evidence of life outside of the tourist season. There was a local school and a fire station in the middle of town, we saw people coming out of church and the Café de Paris was full!

I talk about this charming little town as well as walnuts in my book, My Dordogne Life. Available on Amazon UK and France. There is also a recipe for the traditional walnut cake in my cookery book, The Little Dordogne Kitchen. Also available on Amazon.