4 Best Sights in The Dordogne, France

The fortresslike cathedral is in Byzantine style, and its cloisters connect to the courtyard of the archdeaconry, awash with Renaissance decoration and thronged with townsfolk who come to view art exhibits.

Périgueux's history reaches back more than 2,000 years, yet the community is best known for this odd-looking church, which was associated with the routes to Santiago de Compostela. Finished in 1173 and fancifully restored in the 19th century, Cathédrale St-Front seems like it might be on loan from Istanbul, given its shallow-scale domes and the elongated conical cupolas sprouting from the rooflike baby minarets. You may be struck by similarities between it and the Byzantine-style Sacré-Coeur in Paris; that's no coincidence—architect Paul Abadie (1812–84) had a hand in the design of both. After a mandatory visit to the cathedral, you can make for the cluster of tiny pedestrian-only streets that run through the heart of Périgueux.

The elaborate turreted tower of the Cathédrale St-Sacerdos, begun in the 12th century, is the oldest part of the building and, along with the choir, all that remains of the original Romanesque structure.

This austerely beautiful medieval church dates back to 1284 and the founding of Monpazier, but it was extensively rebuilt in 1450. A new bell, still in use today, was added in 1476. The gorgeous Gothic-style wooden choir stalls were added in 1506.