Romantic new (13th Century) destination wedding hideaway in France

St. Cirq Lapopie is a Medieval village whose streets remain too narrow for cars

Even in France, it might be hard to imagine a more romantic setting for a small destination wedding than Coeur de Lion (Lion Heart), a newly renovated 13^th century stone house that sits above a river in St. Cirq Lapopie, a medieval village whose streets are too narrow for cars.

The cliff-top village, in the Dordogne-Lot region of southern France, overlooks a green river valley near the town of Cahors. Its medieval gate still standing, its red-capped houses often covered with flowers, it is ranked as one of France’s most beautiful villages, and is under consideration as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Couer de Lion seen through village arch

Coeur de Lion, which has five-bedrooms on three floors, retains many of its original architectural elements, including its terra cotta roof, decorative wall niches, and an archer’s window, should you feel the need to keep the world at bay. But you’ll also find 3 ½ bathrooms, a big gourmet kitchen, and, because nobody wants to keep the world entirely at bay, internet service. Windows bring a lot of light inside, including one window in the master bedroom that allows expansive, but private, views of the countryside from a vintage porcelain bathtub.

Out back, slanting toward the river, there’s a terraced area, with views of the village cathedral, that’s perfect for a small ceremony or reception. This is France, so there are excellent chefs nearby who can cater those, with a number of local markets for them to draw from. The foodies on your guest list will be delighted to learn that the largest truffle market in southwest France, in Lalbenque, is 20 miles away.

Public garden at back of Coeur de Lion

In the village , your destination wedding guests will find easy walks to shops, restaurants, bakeries, art studios, and even a museum. Canoeing on the river is popular—there’s also a sandy beach—as are cooking and bicycling tours.

As it has hardly been discovered, even by the French, the village has no large hotel. But if five bedrooms are not enough, Coeur de Lion’s owners, who are young Americans, and probably more attuned to your sensibilities than some locals might be, can arrange rooms in other nearby village houses. And at the end of a scenic 25-minute drive, Cahors has several nice hotels for overflow. From April to November, Coeur de Lion is rented by the week, typically from Saturday to Saturday, with other arrangements possible off season.

If exchanging vows in a place that’s seen 700 years of living and loving sounds intriguing, we can’t imagine a better place to begin a marriage.

One of five Coeur de Lion bedrooms.