A Model of Medieval Design

Monpazier is often called the “bastide parfaite” – the perfect bastide. These were fortified towns built mainly in the 13th and 14th centuries, designed with orderly grids and central markets to encourage trade and secure the region. Monpazier is the best surviving example. In fact, its original layout has barely changed in more than 700 years. Walking through its tidy streets today, you can still see the exact logic and vision behind its structure: wide stone arcades surrounding the market square, neat right-angled streets, and uniform stone houses that seem to line up as if by intention – because they were.

But for all its order, Monpazier feels far from sterile. It’s a living village, with flower boxes, family-run shops, and café chairs spilling gently onto the pavements. Artists have made it their home, and there’s something quietly magical in the way time seems to slow down here.

“You can hear your own footsteps on the stones, then someone greets you with a bonjour and a smile. That’s Monpazier.” – visitor’s note, 2023

A Town Built on Trade

The heart of Monpazier is its arcaded square, where the weekly market has taken place for centuries – and still does, every Thursday morning. On market days, the square fills with colourful stalls: local cheeses, sun-warmed apricots, duck confit, baskets of walnuts, wild mushrooms in season. It’s not a show for tourists – it’s a market for everyone. Locals come to shop and chat, just as they have for generations.

And while you're there, keep your eyes peeled for something unusual: carved in the stone under one of the arches is a medieval measure used by merchants to check the size of cloth being sold. It’s one of many tiny reminders that Monpazier was once a centre of trade – and still knows how to do business with a smile.

Architecture You Can Touch

Monpazier invites you to slow down and look closely. The buildings here aren't monuments kept behind ropes – they’re part of everyday life. You might find yourself stepping into a gallery that was once a granary, or buying ice cream in a 14th-century townhouse. The Church of Saint-Dominique, just off the main square, is a beautiful blend of simplicity and strength, built in the same century the village was founded.

Don’t miss the old halle – the wooden-roofed market shelter at the centre of the square. Its huge beams are still holding firm after hundreds of years. And if you look closely at the rooftops above, you’ll often spot pigeonniers (dovecotes), symbols of status and food security in days gone by.

Creative Energy

Today, Monpazier has become something of a haven for artists and craftspeople. You’ll find studios selling handmade jewellery, carved wood, ceramics, and paintings – all tucked inside old stone buildings that feel untouched by time. There’s a real sense that creativity here is not an afterthought; it’s part of the soul of the village.

Several annual art and craft fairs add to the atmosphere, especially during summer, when the whole town feels like a gentle celebration of beauty, tradition, and care.

Things to Do

Explore the market on Thursday mornings – go early and linger.

Visit the Bastideum, an interactive museum that brings Monpazier’s medieval roots to life. Great for kids and adults alike.

Take a walking circuit through the bastide’s outer walls, spotting the original gateways and defensive towers.

Sip coffee under the arcades and watch the day unfold from the best seat in the square.

Buy local craft from one of the artisan boutiques dotted along Rue Notre-Dame or Rue Saint-Jacques.

Festivals and Events

Monpazier is small but lively, especially from May to September. There are night markets (marchés gourmands), music evenings, outdoor cinema nights, and even medieval reenactments in the summer. Locals and visitors gather under the stars to eat, drink, and enjoy live music on long summer evenings.

Keep an eye out for:

The “Journée Médiévale” (Medieval Day) in July

Nocturnal summer markets with food trucks, music, and dancing

Artisanal fairs that showcase woodwork, pottery, glass-blowing, and more

A Peaceful Base

Many visitors choose to stay in or near Monpazier, using it as a peaceful base for exploring the Dordogne. It’s centrally located for visiting castles, rivers, gardens, and prehistoric caves – including Belvès and its troglodyte dwellings just a short drive away.

The pace of life here is different. Locals greet one another by name, and it’s not unusual to see an artist chatting with a farmer over a glass of wine. There’s a friendliness that makes Monpazier feel not just beautiful, but welcoming too.

UNESCO and Beyond

Monpazier is officially listed as one of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France – a distinction reserved for the most exceptional villages in the country. And rightly so. But what makes it special isn’t just the postcard-perfect buildings. It’s the way it feels. Quiet, proud, lived-in.

Practical Info

Driving from Belvès: About 20 minutes via the D710 and D660

Market Day: Thursdays, 8am–1pm

Bastideum Museum: Open April–October (ticketed)

Food & Wine: Several cafés, restaurants, and wine shops on and around the square

Parking: Well signposted outside the walls; pedestrian centre