The Bruner Family Journey: A Week In the Dordogne

The crew (minus Justin and me) in Sarlat

Sarlat-la-Canéda is said to have the highest density of designated historic buildings in all of Europe. The American writer Henry Miller described the town as a Frenchman's paradise. In the 1960s, the town was used as a kind of pilot project for a new national law that was designed to protect France's historic architecture against the pervasive forces of modernization. The plan worked and today the town stands as an immaculately preserved example of the late French Middle Ages.

But the town's history doesn't go as far back as you might think. According to legend, Sarlat was nothing but a malarial swamp until the 9th century, when the town was founded as inhabitants of the region fled from marauding Vikings on longships and took refuge in a small valley inland from the Dordogne River. The locals apparently turned to religion, placing themselves under the protection of Benedictine monks who came to Sarlat to build their monastery. Sarlat became a prosperous market town in the 13th and 14th centuries and served a critical role in coming to the aid of other nearby towns during the Hundred Years' War, although it did suffer heavy damage. Much of the town was rebuilt in the 15th century and - as they say - the rest is history.

Chillin' in Domme

Less than a half-hour away, Domme is a fortified hill town founded in the 13th century by Phillip the Bold, with some help from his lesser known second cousin Murray the Mildly Assertive. It changed hands numerous times between the French and English during the Hundred Years' War, which caused great confusion and many horse cart collisions as people tried to figure out what side of the mud path to drive on for the week. The town prospered in the 17th century, but fell into decline after that. Though not as architecturally striking as Sarlat, Domme is very well preserved and boasts magnificent views over the Dordogne River.

We came, we saw, we ate lunch.