Fortifications

There are a number of bastide towns in the Dordogne and Eymet is one of the best preserved. Bastides were created in the 13th Century as fortified towns, within which people could settle and live safely, and agriculture and industry could thrive. They were very successful. They rarely had castles, as Eymet has, but the castle here predated the building of the bastide and the town was built around it. All that remains of the castle now is the keep, the gatehouse and a bit of the curtain wall.