# Dordogne region - - lots to see and only five days!



## Conan (Nov 6, 2013)

We have Domaine de Gavaudun (RCI #4195) reserved for a week next Spring.  We'll be flying into Toulouse from Paris on EasyJet on Saturday morning, and unfortunately we fly home from Toulouse a day early, the following Friday.

Which leaves Sunday through Thursday to see what we can of the Dordogne.

Here's my working list of locations, which obviously needs to be shortened.  Gavaudun is near Biron, an hour plus drive north-east to Sarlat-la-Caneda or north-west to Bergerac.

Grotte du Pech-Merle
Grottes de Font-de-Gaume
Rocamadour
Jardins d'Eyrignac
Chateau de Beynac
Domme
La Roque Saint-Christophe
Sarlat-la-Caneda
Grotte de Rouffignac 

Which would you drop from the list, and what might you add?


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## Quiet Pine (Nov 6, 2013)

We spent a week in the area in 2009, renting a house in Domme. It’s a charming town, wonderful views of the Dordogne River, some excellent restaurants. Knights Templar were imprisoned there in 1307, and that’s a big tourist draw.

Canoes can be rented down the hill by the river, and there are wonderful views as you paddle. My DS and DIL took the canoe; we drove to pick them up in (Beynac?), then visited Chateau de Beynac. Richard Lion Heart occupied it in the 12th century. I’m often surprised at the overlap between English and French history.

Sarlat is a city compared to the town of Domme, and we went there for groceries. There’s a medieval center and market days on Wednesday and Saturdays.

I bought tickets online—from the US—for Font-de-Gaume. I know that Lascaux is more famous & colorful, but I wanted to see authentic. A limited number of people are allowed in each day to preserve the art.

We didn’t see La Roque Saint-Cristophe, but there was a similar site at La Roque-Gageac, in a town along the river. 

Sorry that I don’t know where the timeshare is, so I can’t give more specific information. We loved the area and will always remember that week with delight.


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## Carolinian (Nov 6, 2013)

I did a couple of days in the Dordogne as a side trip to an exchange elsewhere in France, but that was enough to put it on my list to return.  It is a beautiful and historic area.  My focus was on medieval towns and chateaux.

DAE gets vacation cottages deposited into their exchange system there periodically, and I have intended to put in a request for one.

The river was the front line between the French and British for many years of warfare between the two countries, and both sides built castles on their own side of the river.  In fact, there is an entertaining Michael Crichton novel about those wars and involving time travel.


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## Laurie (Nov 7, 2013)

Lascaux cave tour is a must - make reservations. (I'd thought a reproduction would be Disney-ish and not worth it - wrong.)
St-Cirque-Lapopie on the Lot river. 
Les Eyzies museum. 
Monpazier.
Montflanquin, very close to the timeshare as I recall. 

Oh my, so many worthwhile things to see in the area. 

From your list, don't miss Pech-Merle & Font-du-Game, Beynac, Rocamadour and of course Sarlat.

Next week I'll look thru my notes and see if I missed anything major - this is my very favorite area of France so far, and we've managed to cover a good bit of geography. I think you'll have a wonderful trip.


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