Bastides were originally walled towns, centred around a market square, with the houses set in narrow streets, often to a grid layout. They were fortified to protect the inhabitants from attack, founded during the Hundred Years War between England and France, mainly in South-Western France.
Each bastide was founded on the basis of a charter. The founder, the king or his representative - abbé or count, gave land. Legal and economic privileges were granted to the people who built the town and worked there. Their freedom, safety and property ownership was guaranteed. In return, the king could raise taxes and troops in the event of war.
A marvellous example of a walled bastide with several fortified gateways in the town walls. It is situated high above the river with outstanding views of the Dordogne valley. Underneath the market square is a cave with stalagmites and stalactites. There are a lot of small shops to browse!
The bastide of Monpazier is a National Heritage Site and, is the best preserved and considered the most typical example of a bastide in the entire south-west of France.
The square is surrounded by houses whose ground floor form the arches of an arcade. Its old market hall is intact .
The medieval town of Eymet was founded in 1270 by Alphonse de Poitiers and stands as a powerful testament to a turbulent past.
An attractive unspoiled town to visit, there is a thriving central square and it is in a pretty location on the banks of the Dropt river