Explore the Dordogne, a quintessentially French region of rich food, bastide-studded countryside, hilltop villages and prehistoric caves – all lubricated by the gorgeous River Dordogne.

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Which region of France boasts the greatest cuisine? Lyon reckons it rules the roost. Alsace has a damn good claim to the title. And, as the capital city, Paris punches high. But many experts will tell you there’s one department in the southwest of France where the food is more glorious than anywhere else, and that’s the Dordogne. After all, this is the land of foie gras and Périgord truffles. The menus here boast confit de canard, confit d’oie and magret de canard. The cep mushrooms are to die for and you’ll find walnuts ubiquitous fresh, dried, as an oil, or as a liqueur. You could happily spend a month here doing little else but eating. And many do.

The Dordogne is a vaguely rhombus-shaped department centred on the prefecture city of Périgueux, to which most of the main roads lead. Falling into the larger administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine, it covers roughly the same area as the ancient province of Périgord, and at 3,500 square miles, it’s mainland France’s third largest department. However, its population of only 414,000 means there are just 120 people per square mile – you don’t come here for the nightlife. Confusingly, the department is loosely separated into four further regions, each with its own identity. The central area, around Périgueux, is dominated by large valleys, meadows and grand plateaux with lots of white limestone, hence its name Périgord Blanc. In the southwest, centred around Bergerac, is Périgord Pourpre, where the main vineyards lie – purple, thanks to the wine. Then there’s Périgord Noir, around the town of Sarlat-la-Canéda, black because of the dark oak and pine woodland. And finally, to the north and northwest, is Périgord Vert – with its rich, green river valleys, forests and farmland.

The mighty river

Snaking through the south of the department, like toothpaste squeezed too quickly from its tube, is one of France’s loveliest, mightiest and most sinuous rivers, the Dordogne. Rising in the volcanoes of the Massif Central, it wiggles west for 300 miles as far as the Gironde estuary, near Bordeaux, through hills, gorges, orchards, vineyards, thick woodland and lush farmland. Some of its most interesting banks are in the department of the Dordogne itself, with achingly pretty villages sitting either side of the river. And it’s on the River Dordogne that our driving tour starts.

Most visitors to this part of the world will arrive at Bergerac Dordogne Périgord Airport, in Bergerac, where car hire options are plentiful. Bergerac itself – made famous by the notoriously big-nosed Cyrano de Bergerac, who has been immortalised here with a statue – has a lively vieille ville on the river and is surrounded by rich vineyards. There are seven appellations of wine, about which you can thoroughly educate your taste buds at the Espace Vin Quai Cyrano, on Rue des Récollets. The speciality here is the sweet Monbazillac, which pairs perfectly with foie gras.

From Bergerac, first head south along the N21 to the fortified town of Issigeac. There are countless medieval bastides in the area but this really is one of the finest, boasting a Sunday morning market that will assault your senses. There’s also an antiques fair in August. From here, head east to Monpazier, one of the best preserved of all the bastides. The visitor’s centre, called Bastideum, will arm you with all the historical information you need and even offers medieval-themed games for kids. Bastides are notable for their square or rectangular layouts. Most are split into perpendicular streets, with a market square at the centre and surrounding arcades.

Valley of wonders

Now head north, back towards the River Dordogne, stopping briefly at Belvès, where yellowy-gold houses adorn the hilltop. Once you’re on the main road running parallel to the river, be as capricious as you wish, stopping at any village that takes your fancy. Trémolat, Castelnaud-la-Chapelle and La Roque-Gageac are gorgeous, as are Saint-Cyprien and Sarlat-la- Canéda, but your head will also be turned by many others.

Don’t miss the Gouffre de Proumeyssac, a vast subterranean vault that bristles with sparkling stalactites. You can walk in through a tunnel or, if you’re more adventurous, get lowered into the cavern in a basket. Another great spot is Beynac-et-Cazenac, where two fortresses stare one another down across the river. On the north side, standing sentry atop a limestone cliff, is Château de Beynac, with its double wall, double moat and Romanesque keep. A few kilometres to the south are the enormous ramparts and crenellations of the Château de Castelnaud-la-Chapelle, where the daggers, crossbows, halberds and dungeon complete the full medieval experience.

Close by, tucked into one of the river’s myriad meanders, are the amazing Jardins de Marqueyssac. Like something Edward Scissorhands might have created in one of his more sober moments, this is a monument to topiary, with more than 150,000 hand-pruned boxwoods spread across a dream-like landscape of 15 hectares where peacocks roam freely. Situated on a high promontory, 130 metres up, it offers views across the valley. On Thursday evenings in July and August the gardens are illuminated by candlelight while jazz musicians play live music. There’s even the chance to try rock climbing or via ferrata. With a poetic flourish, the Jardins de Marqueyssac’s website describes the gardens: “From shadow to light, from wild to refined, from the undergrowth to the panoramic views of the landscape, from the straight paths to the winding labyrinths, from hints of colour to the polished tones of the boxwood, from romantic strolls to the most daring adventures.” They really are very special.

A short way northeast of here is the lovely town of Sarlat-la-Canéda, where the honey-coloured stone houses of the old town lure in tourists from all over France. For a superb overview of the whole town, ride the ascenseur panoramique, a glass-sided lift that takes you 35m up to the top of Belvédère de Sarlat. Also be sure to check out the huge markets on Wednesdays and Saturdays.

Now head northwest on the D47 to the Vézère Valley, where the limestone cliffs are peppered with caves that our ancient ancestors once called home. The whole section of the valley between Limeuil and Saint-Amand-de-Coly is one of the most important prehistoric sites in the world. It was here that the remains of Cro-Magnon people the first modern humans to settle in Europe were discovered in the 1800s. And then in 1940, a little dog called Robot and his owner, Marcel Ravidat, stumbled upon the entrance to a network of caves near the village of Montignac. Inside, they discovered more than 600 depictions of ancient animals and humans from the Upper Paleolithic era, around 19,000 years ago. Opening the caves to the public in 1948 turned out to be an error, however, as the breath and humidity from visitors soon damaged the paintings. Fifteen years later they were closed off and restored.

Nowadays, at Lascaux IV, you can visit “the complete replica”, which is impressively close to the original. The main base from which to visit the caves is the town of Les Eyzies-de-Tayac where you can pick up an official tour. Here, the Musée national de Préhistoire will arm you with more than enough knowledge. While you can’t enter the original Lascaux cave, there are others you can visit in the flesh, including Grotte de Font-de-Gaume, where you’ll see bison, horses, mammoths and reindeer, just as they were painted thousands of years ago, and Grotte de Rouffignac, with its electric train, from which you can see 250-plus ancient paintings of animals and cavemen.

Historic delights

West of the Vézère Valley, via the A89 autoroute, is Périgueux. It may be the biggest town in the department and the capital, but its medieval and Renaissance old town is small enough to stroll around, as you enjoy the lively cafés, restaurants and shops. Visit the tower-topped Byzantine Cathédrale Saint-Front, the shops of the lovely Rue Limogeanne, the Musée Gallo-Romain Vesunna (a superbly preserved Roman villa) and the remains of the Roman amphitheatre, which used to be one of Ancient Gaul’s largest, with room for 20,000 bloodthirsty spectators.

Périgueux’s expansive markets on Wednesdays and Saturdays from 8am to 1pm are something of an institution, drawing in hungry foodies from all around. From Périgueux it’s a short, winding drive north along the D939 to Brantôme, aka ‘the Venice of the Périgord’. This lovely town, with its five medieval bridges, sits on an island encircled by a meander of the River Dronne. Many visitors hire canoes, kayaks or standup paddleboards and explore the town by river. It’s the perfect spot to spend your last night before heading back to the airport at Bergerac.

From France Today Magazine