Martel & Le Truffadou

Martel has a lot to offer when it comes to medieval origin. The municipality has retained an important architectural heritage related to this period. You will find the Romanesque style Saint-Maur church built in the 12th century. It represents a very good example of the Gothic of the South. Built in the second half of the 13th century, the Raymondie Hotel was completed in the 1330s. It has been the City Hall since the French Revolution. It is here you can find the museum of Uxellodunum, which has protohistoric and Gallo-Roman collections, as well as 17th and 18th century pharmacy pots and old maps on display. Walking through the medieval city, you can admire several historical mansions. According to legend, it was here that King Henry the Younger, brother of Richard Lionheart and eldest son of Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine & King Henry II, died from his wounds by the looting of Rocamadour. In the old quarter, you can also discover several medieval stalls, houses of character and old style doors.

A market is held every Wednesday and Saturday morning under the hall. A flea market is held in May, and another one in the last weekend of July. The city also hosts a Christmas market in December and an award-winning truffle market in January. Archeology days take place in June at the museum of Martel. Why not visit of the walnut oil mill. The entire countryside around us is embedded in walnut trees, and here they show you how they used to produce the oil, which is still a well-selling product of Martel today. In early July, the city organizes its Mexican and Latin festival with balls, concerts, demonstrations of zumba, games, exhibitions and a craft market. Young and old come to dance under the hall on Wednesday evenings in July and August with a different orchestra every Wednesday. Bandas Festival, shear festivals, comics festival, many gourmet markets with musical entertainment and classical music concerts at the church are among the highlights of the season.

Put back in service at the end of the 1990s, the tourist railway line allows you to go from Martel to Saint-Denis-lès-Martel and admire the Dordogne valley through the cliffs of Mirandol. The locomotive is called Le Truffadou, because it used to transport truffles to the market Martel. The railway runs in the high season. Reptiland is a reptile animal park, fun for young and old by revealing different species of snakes, crocodiles or lizards from all over the world. Several marked hiking trails allow you to discover the local flora and fauna, and to admire the Dordogne valley all together.