Villages

Souillac
A small village nearest to La Panacée. The famous abbey as well as the brandy distillery La Vieille Prune (The Old Prune) are definitely worth a visit. Every Friday morning you can visit the local fair, with lots of regional products for sale. Mid July, the yearly jazz-festival
takes place, with street bands playing all over town.

Sarlat
This medieval town with its beautiful facades is the most frequently visited town in all of the Dordogne. The old city centre is a pedestrian area with lots of small shops and restaurants. Especially on a summer evening it’s a definite must see. Various street performers show of their art in the courtyards magically illuminated by traditional gas lanterns.

Rocamadour
This pilgrimage place is built up against a steep cliff. Through a grand pilgrims stairway with 216 steps (you can also make use of an elevator) you can reach the shrine; Chapels with fresco’s and a church. The gothic  “Chapelle Notre Dame” (chapel of Our Lady) is one of the most beautiful shrines and contains the famous Vierge Noir (black virgin), a small walnut statue which is said to have healing powers. In the book “Livre des miracles de Notre-Dame”  90 healings are described which have taken place at this statue of the Black Madonna.

Les plus beaux villages de France
In France there’s a list of the most beautiful villages of France, the so called, “Les plus beaux Villages de France”. The area surrounding La Panacée boasts to be home to at least 22 villages on this list.
www.les-plus-beaux-villages-de-france.org