EACH year the town of Belves, in the Dordogne region, travels back in time.
Perched on its rocky limestone outcrop the town plays host to wandering minstrels, stonemasons fashioning gargoyles and a wood turner making goblets.
Up and down the streets Maid Marion type figures are painting plates, weaving baskets or serving thirsty travellers with a cold beer and waffles.
Belves dates back to the 13th Century and with its narrow streets and covered market it is not too difficult to transport yourself back to the Middle Ages.
And in the summer the town remembers its history by dressing up its shops in banners and flags and inhabitants in everything from Bishops’ frocks to beggars’ rags.
As you take a stroll along the streets you watch as children learn how to write with the sweep of calligraphy pen or slowly paint flowers on the side of cups.
Further on and the beekeeper explains the way he harvests his honey, before the crowd gives the mad old wizard of the town a wide berth as he wanders by.
Throughout the day jugglers and dancers entertain the crowds, as knights trade blows in the market square.
And with the party set to continue into the evening with an open-air dinner and fireworks, Belves ensures it enjoys its blast from the past.
View a gallery of pictures from Belves.
More things to do in the Dordogne
The Tuilières hydroelectric dam and fish lift
Milling around at the Filature de Belvès
A walk around Prats-du-Périgord, the Dordogne
The peace of the river Dordogne from a canoe
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