Things To Do In Dordogne

Both Dordogne(also known as Black Périgord Noir) and Lot rivers are very popular with the British/American Tourist and has enough things to do to keep even the most picky tourist occupied. Southwest France's two rivers - Dordogne and Lot are one of the most famous and beautiful waterways. The countryside surrounding the Dordogne and Lot is filled with abundance of both, a natural and man made attractions.

True, parts of the Dordogne are more touristy than elsewhere in rural France. The three wonders of the region are the prehistoric caves, Rocamadour, and Sarlat. Sarlat, the main tourist hub, as well as the Dordogne river around Beynac, La Roque-Gageac and Domme, and the Vézère river around Les Eyzies and Montignac, can become a scrum in the height of summer. But even these areas, although crowded, were more than bearable in late last August.



Sarlat-le-Caneda, is a medieval town that is incredibly well preserved, and quite handsome. Visit by night, as well as by day.

Rocamadour is a religious town perched on a cliff, famous as a pilgrimage, for church art, and for its fabulous views. The present buildings date from the 17th century, replacing structures destroyed during religious wars. Stay for one night. Rocamadour's region of the Dordogne River area is in the province of Lot. Other prettiest areas are the gentle, arable Périgord Vert (green) and the hillier, more thickly wooded Périgord Noir (black). Gashed by the Dordogne and Vézère rivers, this is the region's tourist heartland.

Things To Do In Dordogne

• There are lots of things for children to do in the Dordogne, from prehistoric parks to paper making. Particular tourist attractions for children include:Bergerac Aquapark, Bergerac;Prehisto Parc, Les Eyzies etc.
• When in the Dordogne you will want to visit one or two local markets. The markets are often the best place to buy fresh local produce, and most towns are at their best and most colourful on market days.
• The whole Dordogne region, with its beautiful scenery and villages, is suitable for walking - away from the main routes even the roads are quiet enough to walk all year around.
• A day in a canoe drifting down the Dordogne River is must. The hire of the canoe and equipment only costs a few euros, so it is very good value as well.
• Cycling and cycling holidays are very popular throughout the whole of the Dordogne region.

Food for you Soul

Dordogne is famous for its food, which includes the delicacies of black truffles and foie gras. One can also saviour confit de canard (duck preserved in its own fat) and much more - is reason alone to visit and eating out is excellent value compared with the UK.

There are restaurants with one and two Michelin stars.

Getting to Dordogne

You can fly into Bergerac from a range of UK airports with Ryanair. La Cressonnière is about an hour's drive. Souillac is due east on the D703,or you can drop down towards Cahors and the River Lot on the D660. The other most convenient airports are Bordeaux and Toulouse. Air France (0181 742 6600) flies from Heathrow to Toulouse (£213) and British Airways (0345 222111) from Gatwick to Bordeaux and Toulouse (£211). Fares are the cheapest available in early August, including taxes.

Car hire costs about £145 a week for the cheapest economy-size car from Bordeaux or Toulouse airports. Fred Mawer's car was provided by Hertz (0990 906090).

For cross-Channel services, contact Eurotunnel (0990 353535)

Where to Stay

Dordogne is spoilt for good accommodation; not only in hotels but in scenic campsites with excellent facilities, and a vast choice of cottages, gîtes and small châteaux to rent. Below are some of the places where you can stay Le Pont de l'Ouysse (05 65 37 87 04; £89, £17) in Lacave is the outstanding exception. A hundred years ago, it was just a cafe for workmen building the (now ruined) bridge across the little Ouysse. Now, it is an utterly tranquil, very sophisticated restaurant-with-rooms. It has an imaginative cuisine that extends even to breakfast, which consists of home-made tarts and rice pudding.

Relais Ste Anne (05 65 37 40 56; £54 - b & b only), near the centre of Martel, is a collection of old buildings around a pretty garden. Designer bedrooms have limed beams and rag-rolled walls.

La Terrasse (05 65 32 21 60; £42, £11), in Meyronne, a bishop's residence in medieval times, has a spiral stone staircase, vaulted, old-fashioned bedrooms, and a dining-room and terrace overlooking the Dordogne river.

Self-catering and Dordogne gîtes

The Dordogne is awash with gîtes, a large proportion of which are conversions of old farm buildings. Many - even in the well-trodden Périgord Noir - are quiet rural retreats and have private pools. Tour operators such as Bowhills (01489 878567), Brittany Ferries (0990 143537), Country Cottages in France (01282 445005), Crystal (01235 824324), French Affair (0171 381 8519), Just France (0181 780 4480), Meon (01730 230370), Something Special (01992 557711), Vacances en Campagne (08700 780185) and VFB (01242 240310) all have dozens of lets on their books that cater to most budgets.

For a simple two-bedroom cottage without pool for a fortnight in August, including ferry crossings, expect to pay £900-£1,100. For a more stylish gîte with a private pool, prices for the same period range are £1,500-£2,200. In June and September, prices drop up to 60 per cent.

When to go

The peak holiday period runs from mid-July to the end of the third week in August, during which time self-catering prices are sky high and hotels often insist on half board. If you are tied to the school holidays, the end of August is far less busy than the preceding weeks. Expect daytime temperatures in the mid to high 70s from June through to September.

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