The Dordogne department is made up of 4 Périgords, each with its own colour and identity: Purple in the south reminiscent of Bergerac wines, White in the centre is a country of limestone plateaus, Green in the north with its rivers, Black with its forests and truffles. Cradle of prehistory, the department has major sites that can be found in all tourist guides: Les Eyzies known for its many caves and its National Museum of Prehistory, and especially Lascaux IV, an almost complete replica of the Lascaux cave with its magnificent rock paintings. It is also the country of a thousand and one castles. Many fortresses are perched on rocks like Beynac and Castelnaud, others dominate the countryside like Hautefort and its magnificent gardens or the Milandes, formerly owned by Josephine Baker. Brantôme-en-Périgord is nicknamed the "Green Venice of Périgord". Sarlat, the birthplace of La Boétie, is adorned with superb 15th-16th century mansions and Domme offers a breathtaking view of the Dordogne valley. Nature also has its place. Hiking is practiced over 200 km of GR, on the road to Santiago de Compostela or on footpaths open to mountain bikers. Thanks to its rivers and streams, the department is rich in nautical activities, particularly on the Vézère, Dordogne and Dronne rivers. Périgord is also a land of delicacies. Truffles, strawberries, ceps, walnuts, foie gras and Bergerac wines make it a mecca for gastronomy.
When to go to the Dordogne? The Dordogne remains an ideal family destination all year round, but the high season is summer because many sites, accommodation and restaurants close in winter, especially in the Périgord Noir. Spring and autumn are to be favoured, not only are there fewer people but accommodation prices are falling drastically. On the other hand, the Dordogne often enjoys mild weather during the off-seasons which are never very cold. In summer, the tourist manna is concentrated mainly in the Périgord Noir, which offers many activities: swimming, canoeing on very congested rivers, visits to the heritage and caves, hiking. There are many events and festivals. Not to be missed on the 1st weekend of July, the Félibrée. It is a great Occitan celebration organized each year in a different town. In Nontron, the knives are sharpened at the beginning of August with craftsmen and designers from all over France. At the end of July the International Mime Festival invades Périgueux while Sarlat welcomes more than 7,000 spectators each year at the end of July and beginning of August for the Sarlat Theatre Games Festival. At the end of July, Montignac is in the spotlight of international folklore with its festival Cultures au cœur. The concerts of the Festival du Périgord noir take place from July to October in Romanesque churches in different villages. Sportsmen can try their hand at the 3rd weekend in April at the 100 kilometres of Belvès. As for gourmands, they will enjoy the farmers' markets on summer evenings, the fat and truffle markets from October to March and the truffle festival in Sorges and Ligueux in January.
The Dordogne enjoys a temperate oceanic climate but is also subject to some continental influences. The weather is generally quite mild but there are temperature differences of 2° in high season and 10 to 15° in low season between Nontron in the north and Bergerac in the south. The same applies to the greater sunshine in Sarlat in the east than in Ribérac in the west. The wettest region is Nontron, which can experience snow episodes in winter.
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New Aquitaine is the largest French region and has as many varied landscapes as there are places of tourist interest to discover. Among the many ...
When to go to the Dordogne? The Read more about it
The Dordogne enjoys a temperate oceanic climate but is also subject to some continental influences. The weather is ge...
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The Périgord remains one of the favourite destinations of the French who find in this region a diversity of landscapes, an authenticity still well preserved and an art of living. Tourism and gastronomy are the watchwords of this Dordogne which has the greatest number of well-preserved heritage treasures in France of any age. Zoom on the region's unmissable attractions. A region whose colours shine in autumn Sarlat-la-Canéda, the capital ...
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