Just over there, sitting casually on a low stone wall, a young man in bronze watches you go by. This is Le Badaud — one of Sarlat’s most beloved figures. With his faint, knowing smile, he’s been quietly observing the square for more than twenty years. Installed in 2002 by the sculptor Gérard Auliac from Corrèze, this medieval-looking character feels both timeless and oddly familiar. The word badaud means onlooker, wanderer, someone who stops to watch the world go by — and that’s exactly who he is: the eternal spectator of life in Sarlat. From his perch, he takes in everything — the bustle of Place de la Liberté, the grand doors of the Church of Sainte-Marie, and the panoramic lift that rises from the old bell tower. Every day, he watches locals and visitors come and go, the markets and festivals filling the streets with colour and sound. He’s a silent witness to it all — from the Goose Festival to the carnival — sometimes ending up dusted with flour, splattered with eggs, or even wearing a red clown nose for the fun of it. The people of Sarlat took him to heart the moment he appeared, and visitors from around the world have turned Le Badaud into a true local icon.