Castelnaud Castelnaud

Castelnaud Castelnaud (Like Beynac only steeper) This restored castle is illuminated at night. You can see it from all over the Dordogne Valley. You can see the moon, too, though it’s not quite as high. Quaint cottages tumble down -figuratively speaking – the hillside below Castelnaud. There’s an impressive trebuchet, a catapult-like weapon that flung 400-pound boulders 40 meters. Scared the heck out of the enemy but took 60 minutes to load. During the other 59 minutes, there was hell to pay. Limeuil (Feral cats use handrails) Two natural phenomena define this gorgeous hilltop village. The first: the Dordogne and Vézère rivers converge here under two lovely arched bridges. The second: no two Frenchmen pronounce Limeuil the same way. Take the sharp vertical drop from the hilltop lookout past picturesque shops. It will take your mind off the fact you’re basically descending the face of the Chrysler Building. Trafic%5D-%5Bthegoodlife_france%5D-%5B300x- 250%5D- Domme © Lori Shimizu Peterson View from Limeuil Domme (Don’t look down) This is a classic Bastide town. That means it was built behind a wall on a hilltop to discourage invaders. What a waste of time. The first invaders took one look at Domme and said: “No way I’m climbing that.” In addition to altitude, Domme has one other claim: the most beautiful view in the world. You can see miles of geometrically cultivated farmland from its Belvedere. There’s also a magnificent river view of the Dordogne making a hard left turn to neighboring Vitrac. In summary, Southwest France has peaks and a valley. It’s all beautiful, but the peaks will have you over the moon…quite literally. 62 | The Good Life France The Good Life France | 63