![]() ![]() This area is also home to bastides, ‘new towns’ created in the 13th and 14th centuries according to an orthogonal plan. Among other classified gardens are the hanging gardens of Marqueyssac in Vézac: laid out on a rocky outcrop, in the spirit of romance, this vast, 22-hectare park offers more than 6 kilometres of walks, punctuated by 150 meticulously pruned trees.Īfter the black Périgord comes the purple Périgord! A colour that the area owes to its vines, including those of Bergerac. Its elegant lines are reminiscent of the chateaux of the Loire, with French-style gardens and English-style parkland listed as historic monuments. The equally monumental interiors bear witness to the power of the barons of Beynac: rooms decorated with beautiful tapestries, an oratory decorated with sumptuous frescoes, giant kitchens…Įqually notable, the Chateau de Hautefort is one of the rare examples of classical Périgord architecture. Perched on a cliff, the Chateau de Beynac-et-Cazenac is the most emblematic, with its austere facade punctuated by a Roman dungeon. Visiting the Dordogne also means going back to the Middle Ages to discovering its dazzling chateaux built at the time of the Hundred Years War (14th-15th centuries). In the near-150-metre-long gallery, you can stroll among the 2,500 animal figures – horses, cows, bulls and deer, painted and engraved – which have been running across the walls for almost 20,000 years. A lifesize replica of the original cave closed to the public, this truer-than-life reconstruction offers an extraordinary journey to the roots of art. But if you had to choose just one site, it would have to be the cave of Lascaux IV. Between Montignac and Les Eyzies-de-Tayac is an amazing collection of prehistoric sites and troglodyte dwellings from the Middle Ages. ![]() On holiday in the Dordogne, all roads lead to Sarlat-la-Canéda! The heart of the Périgord Noir beats in old Sarlat, whose heritage is unfurled in its narrow streets, medieval squares and Gothic and Renaissance mansions.Īnother must-see is the Vézère Valley, considered the cradle of human presence in Europe. From ornate caves to châteaux and character villages, visitors learn the stories of prehistoric inhabitants, the knights of the Middle Ages and the blossoming of the arts of the Renaissance.Īnd along the Dordogne river, you can savour the flavours of an exceptional terroir: foie gras, duck breast and truffles are all part of the Périgord Noir heritage, and symbols of the French way of life. I expected we’d stay a few minutes but instead we stayed well over an hour.In the Dordogne Valley, the blonde stone is more than just decoration. The walls and ramparts of the castle are intact and thanks to renovations over the past 20 years, it’s remarkably intact. See the great hall, the kitchen and everything else as you tour. There is also a Renaissance staircase and rooms adorned in Renaissance style. You get a better understanding of life in a medieval castle by visiting. The exhibit on Eleanor of Aquitaine and her son, Richard the Lionheart, was excellent. We paid 23 Euro for two to enter and at first I thought that was expensive, but it was in fact a bargain. Note: look for other ways to get to Chateau Parking. Others drove the narrow streets but my rental SUV would have have had a hard time fitting. We parked at the foot of town in P1 and walked the steep incline to the Chateau. Its strategic location above the Dordogne is immediately apparent. This is one of the most complete small Medieval castles in Europe, and is worth a detour. ![]()
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