www.ot-domme.com. Balanced on a hilltop above the river with three of its 13thC gateways intact, postcard-pretty Domme is one of the best preserved and most visited bastides. The streets of the town founded by Philippe le Hardi in 1280 are lined with weathered stone houses festooned with vines and wistaria; the shops are stacked with vacuum-packed Périgordian specialities; and there are splendid views from the cliff-top Belvédère de la Barre which required nothing in the way of additional fortifications.

On the main square, place de la Halle, the Musée d’Art et de Traditions Populaires recreates scenes from old-time Périgord using rustic crafts and costumes, tools and toys. Once upon a time, the townsfolk used to take refuge amongst the subterranean stalactites, stalagmites and pools of the Grottes de Domme beneath the old market hall.