The Dordogne area of France covered by this guide runs from Bergerac to Rocamadour in the south, and to Perigueux and Brantôme in the north, including a great deal of interesting and beautiful things to see in between, the Dordogne valley and Vezere valley being the principle attractions. The area has little public transport, so you will need a car (or a bike or walking boots) to make the most of a holiday in the region.
The area covered by the department is quite large and it is not practical to see the whole region adequately in one visit. Below we suggest some options for your visit.
A holiday planner
The Dordogne region can be seen as needing at least three visits to three different regions:
- The first visit could encompass the lower Dordogne valley and the Vezere river, the area between Bergerac and Sarlat, and up the Vezere Valley to Le Bugue. Some of the many highlights of this visit will include canoeing on the Dordogne, visiting the caves at Lascaux and ambling through Le Bugue town. See Perigord Pourpre.
- The second visit would cover the Dordogne a little further upstream (towards the east), along the Dordogne Valley from Sarlat to Rocamadour via Souillac. Rocamadour and the caves at Gouffre de Padirac, and visiting the market at Sarlat, will be key attractions. See Perigord Noir.
- The third holiday might then include the more northern part of the region towards Nontron, Brantome and Perigeux. Riberac market on a Friday, and the Dronne valley and area should not be missed. See Perigord Blanc and Perigord Vert.
The reference to the Dordogne regions above as Perigord is based on their (common) classification using the historical name for the region. You can see these regions marked on the map below - essentially Nontron in the north is the centre of Perigord Vert; Perigueux is at the heart of Perigord Blanc in the centre of the region; Bergerac and the south-west part is known as Perigord Pourpre; and the region around Sarlat is often called Perigord Noir.
On arriving, your first port of call should always be the local tourist office - most towns in the Dordogne have one - for up to date information about events for that period. And remember to learn some french phrases before you visit!
All these different regions of the Dordogne area of France, from the Dordogne Valley in the south to the border with the Limousin in the north, are covered by this website. For the fourth part of the grand tour you will need to visit our Lot-et-Garonne website at southofthedordogne.com, for the many places of interest just to the south of the river and into the northern Lot-et-Garonne department.
