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Belvès

Belvès (pronounced bel-vez) is a medieval town situated in the Périgord Noir region of the Dordogne. Located on a rocky spur at the edge of the Bessède forest, with commanding views overlooking the Nauze valley, Belvès is officially listed as one of the most beautiful villages of France.

The picture alongside has a link to an aerial photo of Belvès taken in 2004 by Guy Martinot. The photo is looking west with the remnants of the fortified ramparts of the Castrum in the foreground. You can orient yourself with this street map of Belvès, a copy of which can be obtained from the very friendly staff at the Belvès tourist office — location 7 on map.)

See our photo galleries of Belvès and the Périgord at www.belves.net

Potted history

There is evidence of settlement in the area from Neolithic times (it is not that far from the caves at Lascaux). The importance of the area developed during Roman times because of its dominant position along the route from Cahors, later used by the Visigoths in the 5th and 6th centuries. Around 1095, the Castrum fortress was built (of which now only the portal, the keep, the belfrey and the ramparts remain). Because of its strategic position, the Castrum was a key centre of Anglo-French rivalry and poetic street names such as the Street of the Bird that Sings belie the town's bloody history during the One Hundred Years War as it changed hands seven times between the opposing French and English armies.
Information taken from the 'Community of Communes between Nauze and Bessède' website (in French).

The town's history is still visible in numerous places in the town and the surrounding countryside. Beneath the central square in the Place D'Armes with its 500 year-old pillars (and the site of a weekly Saturday morning market), you can get a glimpse of life in the middle ages in the 'troglodyte caves' in the medieval defence ditch that surrounded the fortified Castrum.

Belvès today

But Belvès today is also a thriving country town with a resident population of around 1,400 people and a vibrant local culture. You can get more information on what to see and do from the Belvès Tourist Office.

For walkers, Belvès is on GR36 (Grande Randonnée or Long Walking Trail) that extends from the English Channel to Cahors. Or try the 16 km (5h 40m) Circuit de la Bessède loop starting and ending in Belvès and taking in some of the neighbouring villages, old churches, a Roman archeological site and through the Bessède Forest.

Quite apart from its attraction in its own right, Belvès is a good base for tourists, being less than an hour drive from many of the Dordogne's 'must-see' attractions (see map and our Places to See page, which also has some links to annual events in the area).