Less than 2.5 hours from Bordeaux and Toulouse, the valleys of the Dordogne and Vézère are part of the preferred route for those who flee the coast in summer. Gastronomy, authentic stones, karstic reliefs, hilltop villages and medieval castles compete for a hilly landscape in the middle of which flow the Dordogne, the Vézère and a sense of the art of living unique in France.
A concentration of the most beautiful villages in France
Among the 150 or so villages labeled “most beautiful villages in France”, around ten have spread out in the Périgord Noir and participate in the charm of this slow tourism which takes on its full meaning here. Located for the most part within a radius of about thirty minutes, we take care to discover one every day, to make the pleasure last ... First, La Roque-Gageac for its Friday market, wedged between the Dordogne and that steep rock that the houses seem to climb. An extraordinary site, a rock on which one sees halfway up the troglodyte remains of an old fortress which has earned this once dynamic port the reputation of "impregnable village".
About ten kilometers from Sarlat, Castelnaud-la-Chapelle overlooks the confluence between the Dordogne and the Céou in a splendid panorama. Adobe Stock
Then its neighbor, Beynac-et-Cazenac that you have to "climb" through its alleys lined with small houses in blond stone. Halfway up, it offers the spectacle of the river which winds behind the sublime roofs of Lauze in the foreground, and in front of the hills of Castelnaud-la-Chapelle opposite, on the other side of the Dordogne. On arrival, an authentic 12th century castle, one of the most emblematic of Périgord, offering a breathtaking view of the valley. Opposite, Castelnaud-la-Chapelle is built on a terrace. Overlooking the Dordogne and the Vallée du Cou, it is topped by an imposing fortified castle.
A few kilometers away, it is the Bastide de Domme that we discover perched at the end of a winding road. This small, authentic, calm and fortified bastion has become a village of craftsmen and above all, offers one of the most beautiful views over the valley. Another Bastide worth pushing further north, 30 minutes away, is Monpazier , which has become an unmissable meeting place for crafts and for flea market enthusiasts. Embroidered linen, glassware, antiques ... Every Sunday is effervescence in this 13th century decor, before going to sit down under the trellis of Bistrot 2. On the road, compulsory stop in Saint-Léon-sur -Vézère , typical medieval village, with its coy roofs, narrow streets and a sublime Romanesque church on the edge of Vézère.
Sarlat-la-Canédat, charming capital
Sarlat-la-Canédat, one of the most beautiful medieval cities in France. Dan Courtice
With 66 listed monuments over 11 hectares, Sarlat can be proud of being one of the most beautiful medieval cities in France. Proud of its mansions and its church whose monumental doors have been restored by architect Jean Nouvel, Sarlat continues to nurture its reputation as a town of art and history. The native of the country has equipped it with a panoramic elevator that offers a spectacular view of the roofs and architecture of the city. But it's Saturday that you have to come and taste the atmosphere of the main market day, which then extends over all the pedestrian streets of the city. An unmissable event for producers of Périgord Noir, and for epicureans in general: no less than 450 stalls come here to illustrate the culture of confit, foie gras and "good living" in Périgord. A joyous clamor rises from the city every weekend.
From castles to gardens
Listed site, the romantic and picturesque gardens of Marqueyssac offer around a castle covered with slate from the beginning of the 19th century, more than 6 kilometers of shaded walks. Press photo
Often perched, sometimes romantic or real castles ... It is said that there are 1001 castles in Périgord. They are the legacy of the fight against the Cathar heresy up to the wars of religion, including the Hundred Years War. Among the unmissable, those of Beynac, Castelnaud, but also that of Milandes (home of Joséphine Baker) for its "remarkable gardens" or very romantic, that of the Commarque .
Read also: The Michelin Green Guide 2020 crowns the Château de Commarque
The gardens precisely, another of the treasures of this region, stronghold of lovers of the art of living. With, in mind, the Jardins d'Eyrignac, a still family domain which alternates a rose garden, plant sculptures, ponds, fountains, vegetable patch, country garden, French-style square ... And with in 2020, a sensory discovery around the reflexology, aromachology, sonology, sylvotherapy, contemplation or mindful meditation. While the hanging gardens of Marqueyssac - "the belvedere of the Dordogne" - concentrate 150,000 hand-cut, century-old box trees, forming a maze of sheep perched on a rocky outcrop around a 19th century castle.
A prehistoric heritage
Between Le Bugue and the Lascaux cave in Montignac, the village of Eyzies-de-Tayac deserves its nickname as the prehistoric world capital. Overlooking the Vézère valley, the cliffs of Les Eyzies have been home to humans for thousands of years. Adobe Stock
If Les Eyzies-de-Tayac remains the world capital of prehistory, it is the entire region of the Vézère Valley - called the Valley of Man - which displays its vertiginous cliffs and troglodyte villages. No other site in the world has produced so many caves, galleries and ornate shelters. Site classified by Unesco, Les Eyzies is famous for still housing a real scientific center and for this natural wall updating the many Paleolithic engravings. Unmissable, the Abris Pataud, Cap Blanc and Laugerie Basse, the National Museum of Prehistory which looks back over 400,000 years of human presence, the Combarelles caves (with 8,000 parietal figures) and Font-de-Gaume (one of the rare decorated caves open to the visit) testify to the rich past around “the caveman”. A few kilometers away, the Lascaux Caves, discovered in 1940 and now closed to the public, have been replaced by the Lascaux International Center for Cave Art, inaugurated in 2016.
In video, guided tour in the heart of Lascaux IV
Read also: Causses du Quercy, four places for a trip to the center of the earth
Practical notebook
GO
Count 4:30 for a Paris-Gourdon by train, and 6 hours by car via the A20. Preserved from mass tourism, the influx remains reasonable even the first half of August. It is a region easy to discover from spring until autumn, a little "harsher" in winter.
A STROLL
Canoeing down a part of the Dordogne
We start from La Roque-Gageac for a stroll along the water of an open-air museum ... On one side the castle of Castelnaud, on the other the troglodyte rocks of this valley spoiled by nature . Picnic obligatory on the small beach halfway. From 19 € / pers.
Canoë Vacances, Lespinasse 24250 La Roque Gageac. Phone. : 05 53 28 17 07.
TWO TABLES
In La Roque-Gageac, La Belle Étoile is one of the sure values of this golden triangle. Local customers appreciate the refinement and freshness brought to the local terroir. Delicate cuisine. Menus from 30 to 55 €.
La Belle Étoile, 24250 La Roque-Gageac. Phone. : 05 53 29 51 44.
In Sarlat, Le Présidial is located in one of the most beautiful Renaissance residences, with a preserved garden in the heart of the medieval city. Traditional kitchen. Count 40-45 €.
Le Présidial, 6 rue Landry, 24200 Sarlat. Phone. : 05 53 28 92 47.
A GUEST HOUSE
10 minutes from the capital of the Périgord Noir, La Closerie de Sarlat is a charming guest house, with five rooms nestled in the blond stone houses typical of the country and surrounded by a magnificent wooded garden. We sleep in “Le pigeonnier”, “Le four à pain”, “La poserne” and we have a gourmet homemade breakfast. From 109 € per night with breakfast.
La Closerie de Sarlat, Lieu Dit La Croix d'Esteil, 24200 Sainte-Nathalène. Phone. : 07 87 34 33 48.
