SARLAT MAP
The golden medieval vieille ville of Sarlat (pop. 11,000) has been the focus of tourist and movie cameras; Gerard Depardieu’s Cyrano de Bergerac was filmed here. Today, its narrow 14th- and 15th-century streets fill with flea markets, dancing violinists, and purveyors of gateaux aux noix (cakes with nuts) and golden Monbazillac wines. Trains go to Bordeaux (2%hr. 4 per day, ‚19) and Perigueux (3hr. 2 per day, ‚12). Sarlat Buses runs locally on two almost identical routes around town. Line A stops at the train station; line B at the roundabout one block away, down r. Dubois, (a 05 53 59 01 48. M-Sa 8:30am-5pm.) The tourist office, r. Toumy in the Ancien Eveche, can arrange accommodations. (a05 53 31 45 45. Open Apr.-Oct. M-Sa 9am-7pm, Su lOam-noon and 2-6pm; Nov.-Mar. M-Sa 9am-noon and 2-7pm.) Sarlat’s Auberge de Jeunesse , 77 av. de Selves, is 40min. from the train station, but only lOmin. from the vieille ville. From the vieille ville, go straight on r. de la Republique, which becomes av. Gambetta, and bear left at the fork onto av. de Selves, (a 05 53 59 47 59. Reception 6am-8:30pm. Open mid-Mar. to Nov. Reserve ahead. Dorms ‚10. Camping ‚6.) Champion supermarket is near the hostel on rte. de Montignac; continue following av. de Selves away from the centre ville. (Open M-Sa 9am-7:30pm, Su 9am-noon.) Postal Code: 24200.
DAYTRIPS FROM SARLAT AND PERIGUEUX
CAVE PAINTINGS. The most spectacular cave paintings ever discovered line the Caves of Lascaux, near the town of Montignac, 25km north of Sarlat. They were discovered in 1940 by a couple of teenagers, but were closed in 1963 the hordes of tourists had fostered algae and micro-stalactites that ravaged the paintings. Lascaux II duplicates the original cave in the same pigments used
17,000 years ago. Although they may lack ancient awe and mystery, the new caves filled with paintings of 5m tall bulls, horses, and bison manage to inspire a wonder all their own. The ticket office (a 05 53 35 50 10) shares a building with Montignac’s tourist office (05 53 51 82 60), on pi. Bertram-de-Born. (Ticket office open 9am until sold-out. ‚7.70.) The train station nearest Montignac is at Le Lardiri, 10km away. From there, you can call a taxi (a 05 53 50 86 61). During the school year (Sept.-June), CFTA (a05 55 86 07 07) runs buses from Perigueux (lMhr. 1 per day, ‚6.10) and Sarlat (20 min. 3 per day, ‚4.60)
