GREAT DESTINATIONS ❘ THE DORDOGNE THE DORDOGNE ❘ GREAT DESTINATIONS The lure of PÉRIGORD La Dordogne: an ancient realm where dark rivers sweep under limestone cliffs and medieval hilltop villages emerge from lush dense forest; where a cornucopia of local produce has created a rich and abundant gastronomic heritage; where the extraordinary legacy of prehistoric cave art contrasts with the sublime architecture of grand Renaissance châteaux; where today’s traveller can stay The château and village of Castelnaud-la-Chapelle for a week, a month, a season and never overlooks the River Céou, a tributary of the Dordogne grow jaded. Guy Hibbert explores... ❯❯ BARBOT © JONATHAN IMAGE 34 ❘ FRANCE TODAY June/July 2016 June/July 2016 FRANCE TODAY ❘ 35 GREAT DESTINATIONS ❘ THE DORDOGNE THE DORDOGNE ❘ GREAT DESTINATIONS he Périgord, to use the old name for ‘Dordogneshire’ and if your only experience is passing proud of the fact that they have 190 different sites Clockwise from top left: the modern French department through Bergerac airport or visiting the pretty town of and monuments open to visitors, including 70 or so Much of the beauty of the number 24, the Dordogne, is a Eymet then you might think that this reputation has museums, no fewer than 10 of France’s listed villages, Dordogne is that it is in great part very well preserved; multi-faceted jewel of a region in been well earned. 15 UNESCO World Heritage prehistoric sites, over 250 tranquility is never hard to South-West France, where the sun is It’s no surprise the British love the area – it reminds hotels, a similar number of campsites and literally find; and commercial life is high enough to make for warm humid them of the more picturesque parts of England, say the thousands of gîtes and country properties for rental. much as it has ever been; the Montpazier medieval festival; Tsummers, sunny dry autumns, short sharp winters and Cotswolds, but with less crowds and better weather. No wonder three million tourists come to the Dordogne le Château de Bridoire; view lush verdant springtimes. But it would be a great mistake to label the Dordogne every year. over the rooftops of Périgueux Many people claim to know the Dordogne but when in this clichéd manner. Nostalgia for pastoral idylls is a And yet there is space for them all. Because, aside you challenge them on their knowledge, it turns out powerful draw for many travellers, not just the British, from its supremacy in numbers, the Dordogne is big they know their favourite patch well, but have only and this is a corner of France that can deliver a heady enough to offer a charming diversity of landscapes, been to one or two towns and villages beyond – in antidote to the stress of busy lives, giving a taste of attractions and activities to cater for most tastes and other words, they have formed their opinion too early. what has often been lost in more densely populated to allow people to join in the action or be an escapist, To discover all that this grand region has to offer parts of the world. Like an actor who happens to be as the mood dictates. requires time and imagination, to venture away from excellent at a certain role, there is always a danger of the tourist hot-spots, to meander a little off the beaten typecasting – but the reality is that la Dordogne is a THE FOUR COLOURS OF PÉRIGORD track, to allow time to linger and create your own star with a diverse portfolio ready to be revealed, if you Some years ago the tourist authorities hit upon a memorable experiences. know how and where to look. distinct way of naming some of the territories within Take a moment to consider the Dordogne ‘by the département – the so called four Périgords, the ‘DORDOGNESHIRE’ numbers’ and you will begin to appreciate its scale and Noir, Pourpre, Blanc and Vert (black, purple, white and The British have a long association with the Dordogne, diversity. It’s actually the third largest département green). Unlike some more fanciful labels these labels and fought over it often during the Hundred Years’ War in France and can easily take two and a half hours to are actually quite handy to get your bearings and they in the 14th and 15th centuries. By contrast, today’s cross by road from one border to another. And no allow the visitor to get a sense of what lies beyond the Brits are more likely to be seen fighting over an old wonder its river-based activities are legendary because hotspot destinations. Having lived and travelled in the property for sale, enjoying the sensual delights of a it has over 500 kilometres of navigable waterways, Dordogne I can vouch for the aptness of the names. summer market or canoeing down a river. So popular including the mighty Dordogne, the Vézère, Isle and Périgord Noir lies in the southeast and contains that has the region proved with expats that national Dronne. All this space is beautifully green: of the 557 most quintessential of Dordogne towns, Sarlat, where newspaper journalists in the UK enjoy referring to communes, 497 are rural. The tourism office is rightly DE PÉRIGUEUX OT BARBOT, JONATHAN © GUY HIBBERT, IMAGES golden and ochre medieval buildings cast deep ❯❯ 36 ❘ FRANCE TODAY June/July 2016 June/July 2016 FRANCE TODAY ❘ 37 GREAT DESTINATIONS ❘ THE DORDOGNE THE DORDOGNE ❘ GREAT DESTINATIONS Sarlat is beautiful, but for those in the know, it is just one of many beautiful places in the © ALAMY Dordogne 38 ❘ FRANCE TODAY June/July 2016 June/July 2016 FRANCE TODAY ❘ 39 GREAT DESTINATIONS ❘ THE DORDOGNE SUBJECT ❘ EYEBROW “FIND INSPIRATION IN THE ‘VALLÉE DE LA PRÉHISTOIRE’, AN UNRIVALLED LOCATION FOR CAVES, CAVERNS AND UNDERGROUND TREASURES” which tell terrible tales of the battles of the Hundred Years’ War. The central Dordogne, to the north of Bergerac, is named the Périgord Blanc, because of the calcaire, the bright limestone that underlies the gentle rolling hills and valleys of open farmland and supplies the characteristic white stone for many buildings, including many striking Romanesque churches. The capital of the Dordogne, Périgueux, with its spectacular Romanesque cathedral and quaint vieille ville (great for shopping), is situated in this department, as is the country town of Ribérac, where a very popular market takes place every Friday. To the northeast of the department lies the Périgord Vert, bordering on the Limousin, where green chestnut and oak forests are interspersed with cattle-grazing pastures. Visitors here head for the picturesque town of Brantôme, with its medieval abbey in white limestone, and the lovely village of Bourdeilles, with its château to visit and where a picnic by the gentle AD PAGE Dronne river is one of my favourite days out. PREHISTORIC MARVELS Now you’ve got your bearings, the question is, in which direction to head first? Of course this all depends on your priorities. But for starters almost everyone can find inspiration in the ‘Vallée de la Préhistoire’, an unrivalled location for caves, caverns and underground The Dordogne is full of weird cooling shadows over immensely picturesque cobbled treasures. With 147 sites, 15 of which are UNESCO and wonderful castles, such as streets lined with souvenir shops and restaurants World Heritage listed, there’s scope for everyone, but Montfort, each with its own extraordinary tales to tell serving an endless array of local gastronomic atop the many archaeological wonders sits the ‘Sistine specialities – avoiding duck on the menu is simply not Chapel of Prehistory’, the wonderful Lascaux cave an option. Visit Sarlat in the evening to appreciate the network with its extraordinary cave paintings, first romantic lighting and special ambience. Périgord Noir discovered by four teenagers back in 1940. The year is also home to the Vézère valley with its magnificent 2016 brings exciting developments for Lascaux, with networks of underground caves and grottoes, and the the opening of The Centre International d’Art Pariétal Dordogne valley with its magnificent châteaux on their Montignac-Lascaux (or Lascaux 4), a grand scheme pinnacles overlooking the broad, shining river below. blending contemporary architecture and design which This is the heart of the Dordogne that many tourists will offer a full reproduction of the Lascaux cave know and love and return to summer after summer. thanks to new virtual reality and image technology. Beyond Lascaux there are plenty of other underground BASTIDE TOWNS attractions including the original cave paintings at To the west lies Périgord Pourpre, so named from the Font-de-Gaumes, Les Eyzies, the unusually beautiful colour of the grape, as this is home to the lovely city of geological formations at the Gouffre de Proumeyssac Bergerac (of Cyrano fame), surrounded by vineyards and Maxange caves or the chance to go pot-holing at producing the much-appreciated Bergerac Blancs and the Grotte de Beaussac. Rouges, with the sweet wines of Monbazillac grown to the south of the city and less well-known reds such as CHÂTEAUX AND VILLAGES AOC Pécharmant to the east. Périgord Pourpre also Above ground, more traditional but equally uplifting encompasses the numerous fascinating 13th-century architecture awaits, because the Dordogne has more bastide towns such as Monpazier and Beaumont-du- than its fair share of châteaux to visit. From early IMAGE © MATHIEU ANGLADA © MATHIEU IMAGE Périgord with their unique grid layout and fortifications fortified castles such as the cave fortress at Reignac ❯❯ 40 ❘ FRANCE TODAY June/July 2016 Summer 2016 FRANCE TODAY ❘ 41 GREAT DESTINATIONS ❘ THE DORDOGNE THE DORDOGNE ❘ GREAT DESTINATIONS and the imperious heights of Beynac and Castelnaud SUMMERTIME FUN – FOR for example, should not miss the retro cycle rally Montignac is home to the to the Renaissance masterpieces of Jumilhac and CHILDREN OF ALL AGES leaving from Monbazillac in August.