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Regions of the Dordogne
The Dordogne department (department no 24) is in the Aquitaine region in the South West of France. 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 four visits to see the four different parts of the Perigord:
- It is in the Perigord Noir that most of the highlights of the Dordogne area can be found. So many are concentrated into this area that we would recommend splitting your visit in to two. The first visit could encompass the lower Dordogne valley, the area between Saint Cyprien and Sarlat. Some of the many highlights of this visit will include canoeing on the Dordogne, visiting the most beautiful villages of Domme and Beynac and the magnificent castles along this stretch of the river. This visit could stretch further upstream (towards the east), along the Dordogne Valley from Sarlat to Rocamadour via Souillac. Be sure to see the caves at Gouffre de Padirac. See Perigord Noir.
- The second visit would cover the Vezere Valley from Le Bugue up to Montignac. The Vezere valley is home to an astonishing number of prehistoric caves and shelters as well as many charming towns and villages. Some of the many highlights of this visit will include visiting the caves at Lascaux and Font de Gaume and exploring the charming market towns of Le Bugue and Montignac. See Perigord Noir.
- A third visit would be to the south-western part of the region visiting Bergerac and the most beautiful village of Monpazier and the bastide towns of Beaumont and Eymet. See Perigord Pourpre.
- The fourth 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 above - 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 next part of your 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.
