The Most Beautiful Villages in France around Brive
Did you know that the label “ Most Beautiful Villages of France » was created in Corrèze in the 1980s?
Today, 164 remarkable villages located throughout France benefit from this designation. In Corrèze, there are five of them and are just waiting for you to reveal all their beauty.
And why don't you take a trip to our neighbors in Dordogne and Lot who are also lucky enough to have many municipalities benefiting from this label? And like Gaillard people, we are very friendly, we have even prepared a selection of the Most Beautiful Villages in France for you to visit within a maximum of 50 km of Brive. Follow the guide…
Turenne
Formerly the seat of the powerful viscounty of the same name, Turenne is a medieval villagelocated 15 km from Brive and nestled in lush greenery. Take one of its pretty streets lined with private mansions to go up to the promontory where the remains of the old castle have stood watch for centuries. There, you can discover one of the most beautiful viewpoints in the region.
Collonges la Rouge
In Collonges, we don't see life with pink-tinted glasses, but with red-tinted ones due to the crimson sandstone buildings which frame its streets. Located approximately 30 km from Brive, this village is today one of the most well-known and most visited sites in Corrèze. But this has not always been the case. For a long time, this jewel was abandoned before being reborn thanks to a man: Charles Ceyrac. The former mayor of the town launched the adventure of the Most Beautiful Villages of France in 1982 to save the exceptional heritage of his town and many others throughout the country. Collonges-la-Rouge is a must-see that you cannot miss!
Saint-Robert
About 30 kilometers from Brive, on the border between Corrèze and Dordogne, Saint-Robert is a picturesque village built around a 12th century fortified church. In 1983, it was even used as a setting for the TV movie From Thrushes to Wolves adapted from the novel by Claude Michelet. It must be said that the village with its noble residences, its Middle Ages stalls and its old winegrowers' houses exudes a unique charm.
Ségur-le-Chateau
Ségur-le-Château is an ancient stronghold of the Viscounty of Limoges located in the north of the department, approximately 50 km from Brive. The remains of the 15th century castle dominate the village where noble half-timbered houses crowd together. These rich residences bear witness to the judicial past of Ségur which was, from the 18th to the XNUMXth century, the seat of the Court of Appeals. What could be more normal for a village whose name means “safe place”…
Curemonte
Located on a ridge line in the extreme south of Corrèze, the village of Curemonte is endowed with a rich building heritage : three castles, a Romanesque church from the 12th century and numerous noble houses dating from the 14th to the 16th century. Only 30 km from Brive, it would be a shame not to discover this pretty town where the writer Colette lived during the Second World War.
Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne
Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne has just acquired its title of Most Beautiful Village in France and thus becomes the 6th village classified among the most beautiful one in France, in Corrèze. It is well deserved: the Saint-Pierre abbey church and its remarkable tympanum, the half-timbered houses are examples of the beautiful discoveries to be made in this village which lives to the rhythm of its river.
Rocamadour
An hour's drive from Brive, in the Lot region, this majestic village clinging to the side of a cliff is one of the unmissable visits to make during your stay: this historical and religious site is one of the most visited in France and we understand why: you can discover the Saint-Sauveur basilica, the Saint-Amadour crypt, classified as UNESCO World Heritage sites, or the Notre-Dame chapel built in the hollow of the rock and which houses the Black Virgin of Rocamadour.
Martel
Martel is a small medieval town with 7 towers and a rich merchant past. In the 12th century, this city even became an important stopover on the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela. Later, in the 19th century, this city would experience a new peak thanks to the truffle trade, transported there by a steam train (which can still be tested today).
Saint-Amand-de-Coly
In Dordogne, approximately 20 km from Sarlat and 30 km from Brive, Saint-Amand-de-Coly is the quintessential Perigord village with its houses with ocher walls and slate roofs. The 12th century abbey church dominates the town with all its splendor. Today it is considered theone of the most beautiful fortified churches in Périgord. It must be said that even the English did not manage to overcome it during the Hundred Years' War. Isn't it Gaillard ...?
Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère
Located in the Dordogne about 50 km from Brive, not far from Montignac and the Lascaux cave, Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère is a charming medieval village guarded by three fortresses : the La Salle manor (14th century), the Château de Clérans (16th century) and the Château de Chaban (17th century). Its narrow streets or “couredous” lead you to the 12th century Romanesque church which hosts a few concerts of the Périgord Noir Festival every summer. But above all, Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère is known for being a mecca of Tibetan Buddhism in France and even in Europe with the Dhagpo Kagyu Ling center.
Carennac
The Lot village of Carennac is located on the banks of the Dordogne, approximately 40 km from Brive. You can admire the'Romanesque church with a superb tympanum from the 12th century, the Château des Doyens or the Cluniac priory from the 11th century where the clergyman and theologian, Fénelon, lived. Carennac is also famous for having served as the setting for the television series The Esperance River directed by Josée Dayan and adapted from the novel by Christian Signol.
Loubressac
Loubressac, in the Lot, is an aancient castrum from the XNUMXth century installed on a promontory overlooking the Dordogne, Cère and Bave valleys. Its castle dating from the 14th century dominates the village where, around the Saint-Jean-Baptiste church, there are medieval houses with ocher walls and tiled roofs. In 1972, Georges Lautner shot his film there A few gentlemen who are too quiet. The famous photographer Robert Doisneau even made it one of his favorite vacation spots. Located 50 km from Brive, Loubressac is definitely worth a look.
Autoire
Long placed under the protection of the viscounts of Turenne, Autoire is a ancient medieval castrum with 17th and 18th century manor houses, thus earning it the nickname “Little Versailles”. The village nestles in the hollow of a cirque - the Autoire cirque - made up of an impressive waterfall with a height of 30m and limestone cliffs almost 200m high. There, the remains of the Château des Anglais are hidden, an old fortified shelter dating from the Hundred Years' War. Autoire, a natural and historical site to discover just 50 km from Brive!
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