# Dordogne

The Dordogne is a region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France. Dordogne is one of France's best-loved areas.
Castles, châteaux, and other important historical museums are sprinkled throughout the region, offering enough historical interest for any aficionado, but attractively distributed throughout a breathtaking scenery that needs no scholarly tendencies to enjoy it.
While long a favourite with visitors, the region has escaped much of the overdevelopment of some of France's other regions.

## Cities

* 44.8511110.4819441 Bergerac — its wines and tobacco are its main attraction
* 44.841.1438892 Beynac-et-Cazenac — it has the most impressive castle in the Dordogne region
* 45.3641670.6488893 Brantôme — nicknamed the "Venice of the Périgord"
* 44.8661111.0508334 Castels — a good base for hiking in the forest, canoeing on the Dordogne, or visiting the neighbouring castles
* 44.66750.3983335 Eymet — a bastide town with a community for British expatriates
* 44.6808330.8941676 Monpazier — one of the prettiest towns in the Dordogne region, its bastide from 1284 remains largely untouched
* 45.0663891.1613897 Montignac — an old town close to Lascaux and its prehistoric cave paintings which are a UNESCO World Heritage site
* 45.5294440.6616678 Nontron — known for producing a type of folding knife, known as the Nontron knife
* 45.1841670.7180569 Périgueux with Roman remains
* 45.2469440.33888910 Riberac — renowned for Fois Gras, and its Friday market is one of the largest in the area
* 44.8697221.04361111 Saint Cyprien — home to the Château de Fages, built in the 15th and 16th centuries
* 44.891.21666712 Sarlat-la-Canéda — its historic centre constitutes a leading medieval and Renaissance urban ensemble

## Other destinations

* 45.0669440.1213891 Eygurande-et-Gardedeuil
* 45.0222221.1172222 Thonac — Château de Losse is an excellent example of a 16th-century French castle, well preserved and with lovely gardens.

## Understand

The Dordogne department roughly follows the shape of the historic Périgord, a former province and one of the primary battlegrounds during the Hundred Years' War. The name is still commonly used by the French, as the Dordogne is divided into four regions, named after the historic province. They're the Périgord Vert (Green, in the north), the Périgord Blanc (White, in the north-east), Périgord Noir (Black, in the south-east) and the Périgord Pourpre (Purple, in the south-west).

## Get in

By car to the Dordogne, the A20 and then the A89 to Périgueux.

## Get around

There isn't much in the way of public transport around the Périgord Noir area of which Sarlat is the main town.

### By train

Trains from Paris to Souillac or Paris to Libourne and then change for Sarlat using the Bergerac line. A number of trains operate from Bordeaux to Sarlat each day, which takes about 3 hours and is a reasonably scenic journey.

### By bus

There is no bus station in Sarlat but some services operate from the railway station. The Transperigord links Souillac to Sarlat via the Dordogne valley twice daily and the Sarlat Bus services various areas of Sarlat.

### By taxi

There are several taxi companies operating around Sarlat and the Dordogne valley.

## See

* Visitors from around the world flock to see the prehistoric caves of Lascaux, thought by many scholars to be the world's best. However, due to the damage resulting from too many people visiting the caves, they have been permanently closed to the public. The French government has built Lascaux II near the site where tourists can see a copy of the original cave.
* A wealth of story-book chateaux such as Losse in Thonac, Château de Beynac in Beynac-et-Cazenac, and the excellent museum of medieval warfare at the fortified Chateau de Castelnaud in Castelnaud-La Chapelle.
* A lovely countryside, dotted by the golden stone houses native to this region, makes Dordogne seem a little like a cross between a fairy tale and a movie set.
* The legendary stone villages of Dordogne, including Monpazier, Rocamadour, Domme and La Roque Gageac, are unforgettably picturesque. The market of Sarlat-la-Canéda is just one of many remarkable markets in the area, but this is one that is truly a shopper's dream come true.

## Do

* Canoeing down the River Dordogne is a fantastic way to see the region. It is also great for seeing towns and castles.
* Small group tours departing from Sarlat la Caneda with Ophorus.
* The Dordogne is a wonderful area for walking and hiking. There are various good maps of the region or otherwise quite a few local, independent walking holiday providers can help you on your way.
In the region there is some amazing caves full of stalactites and stalagmites.

## Eat

A magnificent cuisine - famous especially for its pâtés - is often rated by native French as the country's best. Some local specialties:
* Pommes Sarladaises -- potatoes roasted in duck fat, with garlic and parsley.
* Confit de canard -- slow-cooked duck leg.
* Foie gras -- liver from the fattened duck (canard) or goose (oie). Although controversial for its production process, foie gras remains a popular delicacy and is prepared in any number of ways, including pâtés.
* Black truffle of Périgord -- best season for this is when it's fresh, late November through February.
* Tourain blanchi -- garlic soup with egg whites.

## Sleep

As in most popular holiday destination regions in France, you'll find a range of places to stay, varying from large and small camp grounds and village bed & breakfasts to high end hotels and resorts. Family holiday houses are also widely available.