Domme

We continued eastwardly on D703. After crossing a bridge and driving up the mountain, we found ourselves in Domme 10 minutes later.

Domme is a bastide town. According to Eyewitness Travel Guides’ “Dordogne & Southwest France“:

“Bastide Towns

Between 1220 and 1370, the counts of Toulouse and King Edward I of England, ordered nearly 300 fortified towns (bastides) to be build in southwestern France. Laid out to a set plan, they were established for political and economic as well as military reasons. Through them it was possible to bring together local populations and to maximize yields from agricultural land. A reciprocal agreement between the founder of a bastide and the owner of the surrounding land safeguarded the rights of each. The bastide was governed by a bailiff, who represented the king.”

The main road lead to the covered market, located in the center of town, was full of tourist shops, and it reminded me of Provence towns a lot. Other parts of town felt dead, while this section was swamped by tourists. Under the covered market was the entrance to caves of stalactites and stalagmites, and we happened to make it to its last tour.

Maybe because I had seen the CD that my dad made from his trip to Guilin, China, I wasn’t all that impressed with the caves. 45 minutes later, we finished the tour and I was amazed by the panoramic view of the Dordogne region.

Somehow we couldn’t find the famous Porte des Tours, which “is marked with graffiti made by Knights Templar who were imprisoned here,” and these two guys were tired by now to explore further. Well, next time then.