Guide · around Château du Boscau
Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne
Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne from the château (11 km)
On the banks of the Dordogne, 11 km from Château du Boscau, lies Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne. The name comes from the Latin bellus locus, “beautiful place”; in Occitan the village is called Bel Luec. Since 2022 it has been listed among France’s official Most Beautiful Villages (Les Plus Beaux Villages de France), and it is known as the “Riviera Limousine” (the Limousin Riviera) for its mild climate.
Of all the places in this series of guides, Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne is the closest to the water: the village sits right on the river, with quays and jetties where you can swim, take a boat trip or simply sit. In a French TV poll for the country’s favourite village, it came fourth. Half a day is plenty for the village itself; add a trip on the gabare and you can make a whole afternoon of it.
The village grew up around an abbey, founded in 855 by Archbishop Rodolphe de Turenne and consecrated in 860. Around 1095 the abbey joined the order of Cluny. Today around 1,310 people live there, spread across both banks of the river, on the border between the Corrèze and the Lot.
From the château it’s just over a quarter of an hour’s drive: one of the shortest of all the places in this series of guides, so it’s easy to combine with a second destination on the same day.
What you'll see
The abbey church of Saint-Pierre is the heart of the village. Above the south portal is a 12th-century tympanum, a masterpiece of Romanesque sculpture: Christ in Majesty, flanked by two angels blowing trumpets, with the twelve apostles below. Saint Peter, at Christ’s right hand, holds the keys of heaven.
Walk from the church to the quays along the Dordogne. On the waterfront stand houses with wooden balconies, and a little further on is the Chapelle des Pénitents: the former 12th-century parish church, built on a rocky outcrop near the spot where the gabares used to moor. Today it’s an exhibition and concert venue. The whole village is accessible to wheelchairs and pushchairs, which is more than many medieval villages in the region can say.
The houses in the centre have wooden balconies and slate roofs, typical of Corrèze architecture. The village is compact: in an hour or two you can walk from the abbey along the quays to the Chapelle des Pénitents and back.
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The market at Beaulieu
On the first and third Friday of the month there’s a foire, or fair, on the Place Marbot, with stalls run by local producers and craftspeople. There’s also a smaller market every Wednesday morning on the Place du Champ de Mars, with fresh produce from the area.
The mild climate that earned the village its nickname, the “Riviera Limousine”, is also good for growing strawberries: in spring the village celebrates the harvest with its own strawberry festival on the square.
Boating and swimming on the Dordogne
From May to October the Adèle et Clarisse, a gabare (the traditional flat-bottomed boat of the Dordogne), takes visitors out on the river. Until 1970 the same type of boat served as a ferry between the two banks.
Close to the village you can also swim in the Dordogne or go canoeing. The château itself is close to the Dordogne and the Cère (less than 2 km), so you can just as easily take to the water from Boscau.
When to go
Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne is quieter all year round than the bigger attractions elsewhere in this series of guides. It does get busier in July and August, especially around the river and the quays, with plenty of day-trippers from the campsites nearby. Outside the high season you’ll often have the quays and the abbey church almost to yourself.
Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne is best visited on a warm summer evening. The little town lies beautifully on the Dordogne. Take a stroll along the river and enjoy the sound of the rapids and the coolness of the water.
Combine with
Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne lies on the route between the château and Collonges-la-Rouge, Turenne and Curemonte in the Corrèze: our guide to Collonges-la-Rouge, Turenne and Curemonte covers that day trip in more detail. Castelnau-Bretenoux, directly opposite our château, is also often mentioned in the same breath as Beaulieu: see our guide to Castelnau-Bretenoux. Downstream along the Dordogne lies Carennac, with its priory and cloister, which is easy to combine with Beaulieu in a single morning.
Fancy a shorter trip? At 11 km, Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne is one of the closest places in this series of guides, so it pairs easily with a quiet morning at the château itself, or with something else from our area guide.
The nice thing about Beaulieu is that it lies in the Dordogne valley, so you can cycle there without too much climbing. In Beaulieu, don’t forget to look at the twelfth-century tympanum above the south portal of the abbey church of Saint-Pierre. Quite remarkable.
Where to stay near Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne
From the château, Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne is just over a quarter of an hour’s drive. Gilles del Bosc is our self-catering apartment for 4, with two bedrooms and its own kitchen. Louis IX is a self-catering apartment for 2, with its own terrace. Jean Mouliérat is our B&B room for 2, on the first floor of the château itself.
By arrangement you can join our table d’hôtes: a three-course dinner of fresh produce, local and organic wherever possible.
In Beaulieu we usually eat sous les platanes: a pretty little square in the village lined with several restaurants. With children, go for Le Grand Café de l’Univers. Tasty, simple and inexpensive.
Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne suits every stay
Pick one of the stays as your base, and make Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne part of your time in the Lot.