High on the scarp on the south bank of the river, DOMME is one of the best preserved of the bastides, although it's now wholly given over to tourism. Its attractions, in addition to its position, include three original thirteenth-century gateways and a section of the old walls. From the northern edge of the village, marked by a drop so precipitous that fortifications were deemed unnecessary, you look out over a wide sweep of river country. Beneath the village are hundreds of metres of caves (daily: Feb, March & Oct 2–6pm; April–June & Sept 10am–noon & 2–6pm; July & Aug 10am–7pm; €5.60) in which the townspeople took refuge in times of danger. You can enter the complex opposite the tourist office (March & Oct to mid-Nov daily 2–6pm; April–June & Sept daily 9.30am–noon & 2–6pm; July & Aug daily 10am–7pm; mid-Nov to Feb Mon–Fri 2–5pm; tel 05.53.31.71.00, www.domme-tourisme.com) on the main square, though there's not a lot to see.At the top of the Grand'rue, Le Nouvel Hôtel (tel 05.53.28.38.67, fax 05.53.28.27.13; €40–55; closed Sun eve & Mon; menus from €13) has several simple, reasonably priced rooms above a restaurant, while the smartest place to stay is L'Esplanade, right on the cliff edge (tel 05.53.28.31.41, [email protected]; €70–85; closed early Nov to mid-Feb; good restaurant from €32); note that rooms with a view cost double the price of those without. There's a municipal campsite (tel 05.53.28.31.91; closed mid-Sept to May) down by the river at Cénac. If you stay there, don't miss the round tile roof of the chapel or the beautifully proportioned twelfth-century church on rue St-Cybranet.
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