4 - Domme, a templar's haunt

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The village of Domme has been called the most beautiful village in France and rightly so. It offers visitors an exceptional view across the Dordogne Valley and over the villages of Roque-Gageac and Beynac-et-Cazenac.

Originally a medieval fortified town in 1281, the village of Domme has other attractions aside from the view. Around at the beginning of the 14th century, the Templers make up part of the village's history.

At this time, one of the most beautiful buildings of Perigord, the Porte des Tours, were converted into prisons for the Templers. Imprisoned, members of the order passed the time engraving graffiti onto the walls of the tower. You can find seven distinct pictures, all linked to religious iconography, which were engraved by the Templers in evidence of their faith.

Like an iceberg, one of the most special aspects of Domme is not visible from the surface; in order to see it, you must go underground. The entrance to the largest natural cave in the region of Perigord Noir is found here. It introduces the visitor to a network of 450 metres of tunnels where you have alternating stalagmites, stalactites and colonnades. The exit is even more impressive than the entrance; you go back up by a lift that offers a panorama over the Dordogne Valley.

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