The Town
Another town that makes the list of "Most Beautiful Villages in France" is the small village of Autoire. It's located in the Dordogne region and dates back to around the 11th century.
It's situated in a valley bowl known as a cirque, in the middle of limestone cliffs that form a sort of horseshoe around it.
Some parts are almost completely covered by the forest and greenery. It's as if they're slowly being swallowed up by the foliage.
On the outskirts of Autoire is a modest castle that once belonged to the local lords who controlled the area from the 11th century to the 17th. The building has since been converted into a town hall building.
The rest of the homes are a mix of old world stone houses and quaint little half timbers.
In the 16th century the town encouraged wealthy individuals from the neighboring city of Saint-Céré to build a second home there.
The result was that several large manors and a few small castles began popping up here and there. Eventually Autoire gained the nickname - Little Versailles.
The town is quite small with only 350 residents and it doesn't take long to walk the streets and narrow alleyways.
But when you're done, there is more to do in the surrounding area. I recommend visiting the Cascade d'Autoire!
Cascade d'Autoire
There are several hiking trails that start in town, the simplest and shortest of which brings you through the forest to the tallest waterfall in the Dordogne region.
It an impressive 30 meters high cascade down the cliff-face.
The path to get there is well maintained and easy to follow. It travels along side a stream which makes it a really enjoyable walk in the woods.
It takes only about a 20-30 minutes to reach the waterfall from town.
The waterfall was actually a bit better than I was expecting as well.
It seemed to be taller than the photos portrayed it online and there was more water flowing than I imagined. Maybe it was all the rain we go this year?
When you're finished at the falls you can continue to follow the path and do the Cirque d'Autoire hiking loop which travels along the top of the cliffs and eventually takes you to Chateau d'Anglais.
Chateau d'Anglais
The Chateau d'Anglais is castle keep that is currently in ruins. It was built in the 11th or 12th century on a rocky outcropping of the Autoire cliffs.
At one point there was a small fortified village directly below it that consisted of 22 square homes surrounded by a thick wall. We didn't see that when we were there though because that section is on private property.
The keep is quite narrow and small and there's not much left on the inside of the ruins. It's just a narrow path formed between the wall and the cliff face.
I don't know much about the history of the castle either but one interesting fact is that it was once used by bandits in the area.
It certainly makes for a good hide out and a good spot to ambush people passing through the area.
Cirque Loop Hike
The Cirque loop is a 2 hour hike that starts in town and passes by the waterfall before heading up to the tops of the cliffs.
Its definitely worth the trip if you have the time and if you're able, because the views up there of the valley and the town are pretty incredible; even when the weather conditions are sub par.
From on top of the cliff, if you look back you are also able to see the waterfall from a higher elevation and from a few different perspectives. It's pretty cool seeing it from above.
The weather was a bit dreary the day we were there as you can see and it drizzled rain several times during our hike. But all in all we really enjoyed it and looking back, I think it was one of the highlights of our trip to the Dordogne region.
