Destination

DORDOGNE

Luscious countryside, golden towns and villages, awesome prehistoric sites, gorgeous gardens and more than 1,000 chateaux... CARMEN KONOPKA discovers why we love the Dordogne

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View of Carlux with its castle from les Gîtes de Carlux

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he Dordogne in south-west France is one of the most popular destinations with British visitors – and for countless good reasons! The landscape is gorgeous, with rich agricultural land, vineyards, lovely woods and stunning rivers, some with spectacular limestone cliffs, while Dordogne’s ancient towns and villages are full of architectural treasures. What’s more, the area is positively packed with chateaux – some say there are more than 1,000 while others claim a figure higher than 1,500. It’s thought that people have lived here for 400,000 years and along the Vézère Valley there are awesome remainders of prehistoric life, from the painted caves at Lascaux and Font de Gaume to the cliffs of la Roque Saint-Christophe where for millennia people made their homes in caves. Another major attraction are the Dordogne’s gardens, 14 of which have been awarded the jardin remarquable label. And then there’s the food... The Dordogne is a land of plenty and both markets and menus are packed with gourmet delicacies such as foie gras, black truffles, cep mushrooms, walnuts, goose and duck. It’s really no wonder that the area has become such a favourite with both British visitors and home-owners that it’s sometimes nicknamed Dordogne-shire! The département takes its name from the river Dordogne that rises in the Auvergne mountains and flows 500km west towards Bordeaux. Before Dordogne became one of the original 83 départements created in the French Revolution, it was known as Périgord and even now that’s the name that’s more commonly used in France. Traditionally it’s split into four different colours – green, white, purple and black. Périgord Vert in the north is so called because of its profuse vegetation; it’s an area of meadows and forests and is home to part of the Parc Naturel Régional Périgord Limousin, which stretches across the border into the neighbouring département. Périgord Blanc, in the centre, is named for the local white limestone; at its heart is Périgueux, which dates back to Gallo-Roman times and is now the departmental capital.

CLOCKWISE AROUND OPPOSITE PAGE: F Small street in Sarlat F Geese and ducks are staples of Périgord cuisine F Pâté de fois gras, truffles and wine are regional specialities (Picture: OTSI Perigeux) F Troglodyte life at la Roque Saint-Christophe F Manoir d’Eyrignac F Enjoying a beer in Domme F A traditional Gabare F Canoeing down the Dordogne F Château de Castelnaud

To the south-west is Périgord Pourpre, a land of vineyards, most notably those of Château Monbazillac, home of the exquisite dessert wine. The main town here is Bergerac on the bank of the river Dordogne and a key point on a historic trading route. Last, but definitely not least, is Périgord Noir in the east of the département, which is said to take its name from the darkness of the woods above the Dordogne and Vézère river valleys. For visitors this is one of the most appealing parts, with its Palaeolithic sites, riverside castles, the golden medieval town of Sarlat, and plus beaux villages like Domme, Beynac and La Roque-Gageac. We made the Périgord Noir our base on our journey to the Dordogne, staying in a gîte called Hortensia at Les Gîtes de Carlux, booked through Brittany Ferries’ Holiday France Direct. (See page 36 for more information about Carlux and the gîte.)

MORE INFO

www.dordogne-perigord-tourisme.fr

HOW TO GET THERE

To get to the Dordogne we travelled on Brittany Ferries’ Portmouth-Caen route, which offers both daytime and overnight sailings. From mid-March to the end of October the company offers a high-speed service on this route which gets you there in under four hours, but I have a soft spot for the more leisurely ‘classic’ crossings, particularly those at night because you can sleep in a comfortable cabin and arrive first thing in the morning, in time for breakfast in France and a full day’s driving. It’s around 380 miles from Caen to Carlux, driving via Argentan, Alençon, Le Mans, Tours, Poitiers and Limoges. I suppose you could just go for it in one non-stop dash, but it seems a pity to rush and miss the opportunity of exploring some lovely towns. On the journey down we spent a night at Poitiers, a delightful city with lots of historic buildings, including a magnificent Romanesque church in the centre, and close to the extraordinary Futuroscope theme park. On our return we avoided Le Mans because we would have run into the crowds leaving the famous 24 Hours event (this year it takes place from June 12-13). Instead we stopped in Angers overnight and the following morning we had plenty of time to explore the castle with its 100m Tapestry of the Apocalypse, as well as the fascinating Galerie David d’Angers which houses plaster versions of the sculptor’s monumental bronzes. Then it was back to Caen to catch the overnight ferry back to Portsmouth, leaving at 10.45pm. We deliberately arrived early at Caen’s Ouistreham terminal so that we could enjoy a last taste of France. The little town is packed with cafés and restaurants offering good food at competitive prices and we enjoyed steaming dishes of moules and crêpes at Le Channel in Avenue Michel Cabieu, a brasserie filled with fellow ferry passengers. (Many of them were returning from the Le Mans 24 Hours, and the carpark was overflowing with classic sports cars!) As well as Portsmouth, Brittany Ferries sail from Poole and Plymouth to western France. Return fares in the Spring start from £224 for a car and two passengers, based on a stay of up to 10 days. For more information visit www.brittanyferries.com or call 0871 244 1400. For those who want to fly to the Dordogne, Bergerac has an airport which is served by Flybe with flights to Southampton and Exeter, and Ryanair with routes to Stansted, Bristol, East Midlands and Liverpool.

(Picture Jean-Marie Laugery / Château de Castelnaud)

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DORDOGNE WHERE TO STAY AND EAT

We stayed in Hortensia, one of 12 properties at Les Gîtes de Carlux in Carlux, a village a few miles east of Sarlat. Its one, two and three-bedroom gîtes are on a 1.5 hectare site with lawns, woods, play equipment and a spacious heated swimming pool. Our booking was through Holiday France Direct, the holiday arm of Brittany Ferries which offers a huge choice of French holiday homes with special cross-Channel fares. For more information call 0871 244 1245 or visit www. holidayfrancedirect.co.uk – the reference number for Les Gîtes de Carlux is AD000161. Hortensia has two double bedrooms and a large living/ dining room with a well-equipped corner kitchen. However, the feature we most enjoyed was the patio, with table, chairs, loungers, barbecue and breathtaking views across the valley to the village of Carlux and its chateau. Most evenings were spent eating and drinking here. When we fancied a change, however, there was the GR6 bar-restaurant in the village, a short walk down a wooded path. One night we ate at the Hostellerie de Béquignolles, an old manor house just down the road, where we enjoyed a gourmet meal. Also near Les Gîtes de Carlux is the Domaine de Béquignol, a small factory which makes Arlequines de Carlux – delicious chocolate-covered walnuts – and other Périgord confectionary. You can buy packs of the chocolates at the little shop at Les Gîtes de Carlux and you’ll also find them accompanying coffee in many of the restaurants throughout the Périgord Noir. GR6 24370 Carlux Tel: 00 33 (0)553 29 01 74 Reasonably priced bar-restaurant offering local food in a friendly, informal setting L’Hostellerie de Béquignolles 24370 Carlux Tel: 00 33 (0)553 29 08 87 Gourmet menu served in a stylish dining room by the owner of this lovely manor house. Booking is essential Le Relais de Cinq Châteaux 24220 Vézac Tel: 00 33 (0)553 30 30 72 Excellent regional specialities. Meals can be eaten on the pretty terrace as well as indoors La Meynardie 24590 Paulin Salignac Tel: 00 33 (0)553 28 85 98 A traditional restaurant, popular with locals, with tables indoors and outside on the vine-covered terrace

Hortensia at Les Gîtes de Carlux

Le Bistro de l’Octroi 111 Avenue des Selves 24200 Sarlat Tel: 00 33 (0)553 30 83 40 Informal dining in an old stone building with terrace outside. Regional cooking and reasonable prices Castle at Carlux

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TOWNS AND VILLAGES egional capital of the Périgord is Périgueux, a city that dates back 2,000 years and which has some significant Gallo-Roman remains. The modern outskirts of the city are sprawling, but make your way to the Old Town around the Cathédral Saint Front and you will be rewarded by a maze of narrow streets, many of them pedestrianised, crammed with medieval and Renaissance buildings. Saturdays and Wednesdays are good days to visit because there are colourful market stalls in several of the Old Town’s squares, while in the winter months there is a marché aux gras selling duck and goose products, together with local truffles. Both shoppers and lovers of architecture will enjoy Rue Limogeanne whose Renaissance buildings now house some nice boutiques. Other highlights of the Old Town include the Mataguerre Tower, the last remaining of the medieval defences. Saint Front Cathedral may remind you of Sacré Coeur in Paris – which is no accident. Although the handsome limestone church dates back to the 12th century, it was virtually rebuilt in the 19th by architect Paul Abadie who used it as a model for his later work on the great Montmartre landmark. Its domes and the tiered Romanesque bell tower are topped with an extravagance of pine-cone lanterns. To the south-west of the Old Town you’ll find the Roman town. Here the Musée de Site Gallo-Romain Vesunna is a wonderful modern glass building that has been erected over the remains of a Gallo-Roman villa. It’s well worth a visit. The Tour de Vésonne is a tall tower that was once part of a temple built in the 2nd century, while the ruins of the Roman amphitheatre can be found in le Jardin des Arenes. Keep your eyes peeled as you walk around the streets because you can spot lots of fragments of ancient buildings, from columns to the foundations of villas. Bergerac to the south-west, on the river Dordogne, is the capital of the Périgord Pourpre. Its name may make you think of a fictional Jersey detective or Edmond Rostand’s comic hero Cyrano de Bergerac, but in fact neither had any connection with the town. Locals are baffled by the Jersey policeman of TV fame, but Bergerac has ‘adopted’ Cyrano with enthusiasm, first erecting a stone statue to to the big-nosed character in 1977 and then a much more colourful one in 2005 – you’ll find it in Place Pélissière. This square, named after the tanners who worked here in medieval times, is the largest and most beautiful of the Old Town, with a fountain that that was once used for laundry. It’s pleasant to wander around the old part of Bergerac, where highlights include the old port on the river, the Romanesque St Jacques Church and attractive streets with interesting stone and half-timbered buildings, among them Rue Saint James, Rue Saint Clar

Saint Front Cathedral in Perigueux (Picture: OTSI Perigeux)

A traditional gabare Statue of Cyrano de Bergerac in Bergerac (Picture: Untypografico at flickr.com CC-BY)

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DORDOGNE and Place de la Mirpe. When you’ve had enough of strolling, stop at a pavement café with a glass of local wine and watch the world go by. Bergerac was founded on wine and river traffic, and you can visit many of the local vineyards. But while you’re still in town you can taste wines at the Récollets cloisters, now home to Maison des Vins de Bergerac. There’s also a wine and river museum, as well as the national tobacco museum. The most popular town in the Dordogne for visitors is Sarlat-la-Canéda in the south-west. Established around a large Benedictine abbey, it has been immaculately restored and is an absolutely lovely place, its 13th-16th century sandstone buildings glowing gold in the sunshine. Most of the buildings are grand, with lauze roofs created from limestone, located alongside little courtyards and narrow streets. The town’s beautiful condition is largely due to the work of André Malraux, the Minister of Culture from 1959-69, who restored Sarlat as a pilot project for his Loi Malraux, which was then used to transform many other neglected towns in France. He is commemorated with a plaque in the town centre. Unless you loathe crowds, it’s fascinating to visit Sarlat on Saturdays and, to a lesser extent, on Wednesdays when market stalls are squeezed into almost every street – but go early or be prepared to park some distance away! If you want a more peaceful visit, pick another day – though it has to be said that in tourist season Sarlat is always bustling. There are so many splendid buildings that it’s hard to select just a few, but you certainly shouldn’t miss Maison de la Boétie, birthplace of the writerphilosopher friend of Montaigne, a fine four-storey townhouse with a steeply-pitched roof. The cathedral was extensively rebuilt in the 17th century and is not especially inspiring, but in the graveyard behind it look out for the curious Lanterne des Morts, which looks a bit like a medieval version of London’s Gherkin building. It’s not really known what it and similar structures in the Dordogne were for – maybe it was a monument to Saint Bernard, or perhaps it was designed to hold a lantern, or possibly as a home for those suffering from the plague. The Eglise Sainte Marie is another unusual building. Now housing an indoor market and exhibition area, it has a massive pair of doors that are taller than some of the surrounding buildings – they made me wonder if giants were once part of the congregation! At the back of Place Marché aux Oies, with its bronze statue of three geese, is the grand Hôtel de Vassal, a 16th century mansion in two parts, wonderfully linked by twin turrets tucked outside its second and third floors. But everywhere you wander in Sarlat you’ll spot fabulous architectural gems.

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TOP LEFT: Lanterne des Morts at Sarlat TOP RIGHT: Hôtel de Vassal in Sarlat ABOVE LEFT: Bronze statue of geese in Sarlat RIGHT: Sarlat’s Eglise Sainte Marie with its giant doors

A few miles to the east of Sarlat is the little village of Carlux, where I stayed. Normally a tranquil place, it welcomed us with a spectacular firework display, put on for its annual fète. The crowning glory of the hillside village is its castle, which dates back to the 10th and 12th centuries. It’s now largely ruined, but you can climb up to it and enjoy great views of the surrounding countryside.

The village also possesses a house with a rare medieval chimney, a slender, elegant structure reminiscent of something you might find in Venice. As in many of the villages in this region, it’s easy to spot the town hall because a tree has been chopped down and mounted outside, decorated with tricolour flags. Another local peculiarity is that many of the graves in the cemetery are topped with small glass structures, looking rather like miniature greenhouses, though I never discovered why. Just outside Carlux is a lovely garden which deserves to be visited by many more people (see page 46). In an area famed for beautiful villages, Carlux is not a special draw for tourists, but it is a quiet and delightful place to stay in. The Dordogne has nine official plus beaux villages, of which seven are in Périgord Noir. One is Saint Léonsur-Vézère, a picturesque riverside village where we found the local gentlemen playing pétanque and lots of mellow stone houses with roses around their doors. It was a joy to explore the back streets, peeping into pretty gardens, and we stood for ages by a honeysuckle hedge, enjoying not just its heady scent, but also the rare sight of hummingbird moths feeding from its blossom. This was once a river port and down by the river we caught glimpses of the elegant 16th century Château de Clérans – one of Saint Léon’s three chateaux – over its back wall. From the river you can also enjoy pretty views of the Romanesque church, particularly if you sit at Le Déjeuner sur l’Herbe, a café with an enchanting waterside location and outdoor tables covered in blue gingham. A river, lovely views and a cool drink... what could be nicer on a sunny day! La Roque-Gageac is another stunning plus beau village, perched at the foot of a cliff on the Dordogne river. It has a troglodyte fort built into the rock and its stone houses are crammed against the cliff, linked by pathways. It also has masses of exotic plants crammed into little pockets along the paths, adding to the enjoyment of a walk here. Down below on the river you can see gabares, the traditional flat-bottomed boats once used to carry cargo and which are now used as pleasure craft for tourists. A couple of miles away, Domme is another of the plus beaux villages. Perched on a high cliff with spectacular views across the river below, it was built as a bastide town in a grid pattern. One of its main major attractions is its grotto, the largest in the Périgord Noir with 450 underground galleries. The entrance is through the flower-decked 17th century town hall and you can return in a panoramic lift which brings you up the cliff. After exploring Domme we sat at a café with glasses of cold beer, just soaking up the sun and the atmosphere. One of the local residents flung his garage doors wide open and started practising on his saxophone, giving us an impromptu but virtuoso jazz concert. One of many magical moments in the Dordogne...

Le Déjeuner sur l’Herbe and the Romanesque church at Saint Léon-sur-Vézère

Hummingbird moth enjoying the honeysuckle at Saint Léon-sur-Vézère

View of the river Dordogne from Domme

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La Roque Gageac

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CHATEAUX AND THE RIVER hateaux and rivers often go hand-inhand because the water provides a superb commanding position, especially if, as in the Dordogne, the river cuts deep valleys and the castles can be built high on the cliffs above. Like the river Loire, the river Dordogne has castles all along it and the département as a whole has in excess of 1,000 chateaux. My favourites include Castelnaud to the south of Sarlat, which is said to be the most visited chateau in the southern part of France. Perched high above the river it looks sternly magnificent from the water, while from the castle you can see an amazing panorama. It houses the Museum of Medieval Warfare with displays of weapons, armour and war engines. A real treat for boys of all ages! Nearby is a very different type of chateau, Château des Milandes. A pretty place with round towers and pointy roofs, it dates back to 1489, but is most famous for having been the home of Joséphine Baker, the glamorous black dancing and singing star who bought Milandes in the 1940s. Joséphine’s professional fame came from her performances in places like the Revue Nègre and the Folies Bergères, and from her then scandalous banana skirt, worn with nothing else except a string of beads. But there was much more to Joséphine than just singing and dancing. She became a French citizen in 1937 and was very active in the wartime Résistance, becoming the first American-born woman to be awarded the Croix de Guerre. Later she adopted 12 children of different races and was involved in the US Civil Rights Movement, though she turned down an offer to be its leader after the assassination of Martin Luther King. Sadly she eventually lost all her money – and her beloved chateau. But her gripping story is now told through fascinating displays at Milandes. Château de Montfort seems to only just stay in place high above the river. A storybook construction with steeply sloping roofs and circular towers, it clings right on the edge of a rocky promontory and almost seems part of the cliff face. It has been rebuilt several times in the last eight centuries and, as is so often the case, has changed hands several times. Originally held by the Cathars, it was razed by Simon de Montfort in 1214 and was later occupied by the English in the Hundred Years War. The privately-owned Château Beynac, located up on the cliff with the village below it, is another castle that looks amazing from the river. You can take guided tours of the interior, which looks much as it would have done during the Hundred Years War. Château Lanquais, east of Bergerac, is a little distance from the river and surrounded by woods. Part medieval fortress and part Renaissance additions, it was nicknamed the ‘unfinished Louvre of the Périgord’.

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Château de Montfort at Vitrac (Picture: Trevor Yorke)

Château de Castelnaud from the river Dordogne

The team from Randonnée Dordogne

Château Beynac from the river Dordogne Château de Monbazillac (Picture: Alain Béguerie / CRT d’Aquitaine)

Unlike many chateaux, this one is interestingly furnished. Highlights include a Renaissance bedroom, 19th century neo-Gothic dining room, an armoury and medieval kitchen. To the south of Bergerac, Château Monbazillac is romantically pretty, with pointy-roofed towers at its Poetry at the Jardins de sides and surrounded by vineyards which produce Cadiot in Carlux the dessert wine of the same name. A visit here is worthwhile for exploring the vineyards and the interior of the 16th century chateau, but mostly for tasting the wines. Monbazillac wines are golden in colour, rather than white, and have a luscious sweetness. Sample a few and you’re sure to want to buy some to take home. One of the best ways of enjoying views of Dordogne’s chateaux is to hire a canoe and spend a lazy day on the river. If you have never manned a boat before, don’t let that put you off. The hire companies see that you’re safely kitted out with life jackets and there’s almost no need to paddle – the current of the river will carry you gently downstream. We rented our canoes from Randonnée Dordogne in Cénac (tel: 00 33 (0)553 28 22 01). If we had wanted we could have booked them for up to a week, together with a tent, but instead we opted for the 10km trip from Cénac to Beynac. We packed a picnic, which we stowed into a waterproof barrel provided with the canoe, and pulled up onto a beach along the way where our lunchtime companions were ducks and dragonflies. Along the way we passed the chateaux at La Roque-Gageac, Castelnaud and Beynac. If I have the opportunity to do it again, next time I’ll start further upstream at Carsac because this stretch of the river is said to give you an incomparable view of Château de Montfort... As if I need an excuse to return! Joséphine Baker in her infamous banana skirt Chateau des Milandes (Picture: Jean-Yves Didier)

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Château de Clérans at St Léon-surVézere

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GORGEOUS GARDENS

Crazy shapes formed by box at Marqueyssac Peacock at Marqueyssac

Views from Marqueyssac stretch for miles

t would be hard to avoid the gardens of the Manoir d’Eyrignac in Salignac because they are signposted from almost every town in the region! But these gardens are so lovely that you really wouldn’t want to miss them. Privately owned by a family that has lived in the manor for 22 generations, the gardens cover four hectares and contain some of the best topiary you’ll see anywhere. A hornbeam walk leads towards the Vase Alley where yew has been clipped into crisp shapes. Yet this is not just a traditionally French formal garden. There’s an English influence too which has led to the creation of more natural areas. I especially liked the courtyard near the manor house with roses around the door, shaded by a plane tree and where the focal point is a little pond with hydrangeas blooming alongside. Nearby is a little Romanesque chapel with some intriguing modern stained glass. Around the fish pool are more neat examples of topiary – box balls in pots, well-groomed cones and tidily arched hedging – while slender cypress trees draw you onwards to explore the Enchanted Terrace with its majestic Blue Atlas cedar. The White Garden is different again. It’s divided into four by low box borders, within which are set scores of white roses. At the centre a circular raised pool is fed by a quartet of gushing ceramic frogs, while at the end of the garden is a scarlet Oriental seat, cleverly positioned to lead your eyes to the panorama of rolling countryside beyond. If you struggle to keep your grass mowed at home, it’s comforting to know that the 2.5 hectares of lawn at Eyrignac are cut no fewer than 30 times a year. And they have worked out that they cut a total of 45,000sq m of hedge each year – by hand! However, even these hedges pale when compared to the remarkable tapestry of box that you find in the gardens of Marqueyssac at Vézac. The ‘hanging’ gardens here are ranged along a thin spur of land 400ft above the river, with great cliffs dropping steeply on either side. At one end of the spur is a chateau, dating back to the 18th century. The views are extraordinary – from the garden’s paths and terraces you can see miles away to Castelnaud, Fayrac, Beynac and La Roque-Gageac. And there’s a pretty tea terrace where you can make the most of the view while enjoying an icecream or a coffee in the company of the resident peacocks. Complementing the views is the stunning planting, which is almost entirely box, punctuated by tall cypress trees and pines. The boxes are cut into remarkable shapes that erupt into a mad tangle of hummocks and mounds, framed by low box hedges and paths. Your first thought on seeing this crazy green landscape is that nobody could have deliberately

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Poetry at the Jardins de Cadiot in Carlux

Roses at the Jardins de Cadiot in Carlux

Gardens at Eyrignac

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planned it – which is partly true. It was first created in the mid-1800s by Julien de Cervel who was inspired by Italian gardens. Originally the box trees were clipped into formal geometric shapes, but eventually the garden was abandoned and the plants took on a life and a shape of their own. When the gardens were restored some years later, it was decided to keep them in the shapes sculpted by nature. Both Eyrignac and Marqueyssac are deservedly famous. Less so are the Jardins de Cadiot at Carlux, but they are still a delight to visit. They are made up of 10 separate ‘rooms’ over two hectares and although there are some formal areas, there are also parts of the garden that are much more English in style. Old roses are in abundance here, both climbing over arched paths and in great borders alongside a grass walk. Little walled patios are prettily finished with tiles, lanterns and furniture to create secret hideaways, and sculptures are dotted all around, including some from Zimbabwe which are on sale as part of a fair trade scheme. One of the areas I liked best is the Jardin de Poésie. Scattered around are verses of poetry written onto pieces of pottery. Very thought-provoking and pretty.

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CAVES AND PAINTINGS t’s hard to take in that people were living in the Dordogne 400,000 years ago, but they have left traces of their occupation to prove it. Along the Vézère Valley there are at least 15 sites that bear witness to the hunters who first made their homes in this area, many of them listed by UNESCO. Of these Lascaux near Montignac is the best known. The caves were discovered in 1940 by four teenagers and a dog, and within them are some of the most wonderful prehistoric paintings in existence, believed to date back 16,000 years from the Upper Palaeolithic period. Among them are representations of bulls, horses, stags and other animals. The caves were opened to the public in 1948, but by the mid-50s it was evident that the breath from visitors was damaging the paintings that had been secret for so many millennia and in 1963 they were closed to the public. But such was the public fascination with these works that in 1983 Lascaux II was opened. Just a couple of hundred yards from the original, it contains facsimiles of the paintings, beautifully recreated using original techniques and pigments. There is also a museum on the site explaining their background.

Ancient troglodyte steps at Roque Saint-Christophe

The massive ledge at Roque SaintChristophe

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DORDOGNE Many prehistoric cave paintings are closed to the public because of the damage we can inadvertently cause, but at Font de Gaume near Les Eyzies it is possible to see original works, with depictions of bison, mammoths and horses. It’s thought they date back to 14,000BC, but the caves here were first settled by Stone Age people during the last Ice Age, about 25,000 years ago. Altogether there are around 250 paintings, of which 30 can be seen by visitors. One of the most famous is a frieze of five bison which was discovered only in 1966. To protect the paintings, only 200 visitors are allowed in each day, so it is essential to book first (tel: 00 33 (0)553 06 86 00). If you’re staying in the Dordogne and are really keen to see cave paintings, you might like to make the trip to Cabrerets in the neighbouring Lot département to the extraordinary Pech Merle site. Again the number of visitors is limited and you’ll need to make reservations several days in advance in high season (tel: 00 33 (0)565 31 27 05). The caves at Pech Merle are beautiful natural formations with lots of stalagmites and stalactites as well as paintings dating back 25,000 years. It’s awesome to look at the horses, mammoths and bison painted by our ancestors and I was especially moved by the ones where artists had painted around their own hands. Somehow these works give you an immense connection with the past. Back in the Dordogne, there are numerous caves, shelters and troglodyte dwellings in and around Les Eyzies. Also in Les Eyzies is the National Prehistoric Museum, built into the overhang of a limestone cliff. It contains some fascinating archaeological discoveries and describes the Palaeolithic era, the history of the Neanderthals and of Cro-Magnon man. Another fascinating place is the fortress and city of La Roque Saint Christophe at Peyzac-le-Moustier. In the great limestone cliff overlooking the Vézère river there are caves and a massive platform ledge protected by an overhang. People are thought to have lived here for 55,000 years and by the 10th century it was developed into a proper fortress with separate houses alongside. It was so impregnable that during the Hundred Years War the English managed to take it only by starving out the inhabitants. Visit it today and you can see numerous traces of the people who lived here, from the steps they cut in the rock to the rings they carved for the tethering ropes of their animals. There are also some very good reconstructions of early medieval homes and some of the machinery they used, such as cranes for lifting stores up the cliff. As you stand on the lofty cliff, looking down on the Vézère and the surrounding countryside, it’s extraordinary to think that man has been looking at and enjoying this very same panorama for so many thousands of years.

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The Vézère river from Roque

Many prehistoric cave paintings are closed to the public because of the damage we can inadvertently cause, but at Font de Gaume near Les Eyzies it is possible to see original works, with depictions of bison, mammoths and horses.

Cave paintings at Lascaux II (Picture: J-Jacques Brochard / CRT d’Aquitaine)