I couldn’t resist doing a quick write up on the Dordogne. Perfect summers, crispy winters, lush landscapes, alluring medieval towns and villages, exquisite cuisine and of course, God’s nectar – wine!
(Admit it, this brings a tear to your eye!)
The Dordogne Region is located in the South-West of France. Flowing through the centre of Dordogne is The Dordogne River, one of the most beautiful in France. Owing to its rich history, beautiful views, fantastic wine and its fantastic food, Dordogne is one of the most popular destinations in France for tourists.
Dordogne has had a fairly turbulent history in terms of occupation. The earliest record of people living here can be traced back to 25,000 B.C. This is evident by the amount of caves around this area coated in prehistoric paintings, the most famous of these being Lascaux. Between 59 BC and 284 AC the Gauls and Romans ruled the area (with the Gauls attempting to resist against the Roman invasion).
From 486 through to the 10th Century the Merovians and Charlemagnians made their home here. Between the 11th century and the 15th Century it attacked as a battleground between the French and English. This rich history has certainly shaped the way that the region looks today.
The Dordogne area is split into four distinct areas. Perhaps the most famous of these for tourists, especially history buffs is the Black Périgord. This area is coated in beautiful dark oak forests with a number of medieval buildings scattered throughout. The capital of the area is Sarlat. Some of the most famous sites in this area include Castles and the famous prehistoric rock paints of Lascaux.
Périgord Vert is the second of these areas. The capital of this section is Notron which is one of the lowest populated towns of the Dordogne Capitals. This area is famed for its beautiful scenery which is a stunning green throughout the year due to the amount of rain that falls in this area. This area has a lot more hills than the other areas of Dordogne and thus seems to attract a fair few walkers who want to walk past the stunning river Dronne. There are a number of castles to visit around this area as well as the famous cave of Villars.
Périgord Blanc plays host to the capital of Dordogne, Perigueux. The landscape is both hilly and flat. There are a number of castles to visit around this area, the most popular being Hautefort and Montreal. However, the city of Perigueux is something else with a combination of both medieval and modern architecture making it a top destinations for visitors to Dordogne.
Périgord Pourpre is one of the most famous areas outside of France. The capital of this area is Bergerac, a town famous for the fantastic wines that are produced here. The landscape is dominated by a combination of vineyards and woods. We, Bergerac Wine Tours are based in Eymet, 20 minutes drive south of Bergerac. In addition to the vineyards there are a number of caves, castles and woodland areas dotted around here.
Dordogne is regarded by the French as having some of the best cuisine in the country (a huge feat considering the country is pretty much famed for its culinary expertise). The two most famous dishes produced here are the Confit de Canard and Foie Gras. Truffles are also picked here for distribution around the world. Owing to the lush soil a number of walnut plantations are scattered around the area which produce delicious nut oil.
The area however is famed for the fantastic wines that it produces, the majority of which come from Bergerac. The reason why the region can produce such fine wines is due to the fantastic drainage which occurs as a result of being close to the Dordogne River. As they are really distinctive and popular, people from all over the world come to sample these fine wines.
Alex
