Vitrac, Aquitaine, France

If you are looking for a village to walk around in that is not a tourist strong hold, Vitrac is a good place to stop in. It is near many of the more often mentioned villages in the Dourdogne, and it has almost nothing in the way of cafes and stores. The largest building in town is a radiology imaging facility, with a large parking lot, and near the foot trail to the Montfort Castle.

This was a perfect medieval village, almost no modern buildings, and nothing to attract people to other than the gorgeous vistas and architectural features. It is mostly like the other towns we visited, witht he exception of nary a tour bus in sight. The church, Saint Martin, dates back to the 12th century, is beautifully preserved, and open to a respectful public.

It is not longer on the beaten track, but apparently was involved in some fighting during the Hundred Years War. The town is lovely to walk around in, even on a less than perfect day, and if you are there in the summer, it has a dock and place to canoe.