The most popular Périgord Much of the Black Périgord or Périgord Noir (See Map) is located between the river Vézère and the river Dordogne. This is the east side of the Dordogne Département, although it does stretch further north and south of these rivers. It is arguably the most beautiful of the Périgords and is certainly the most visited part of the...

Thanks to Jules Verne The Green Perigord (See Map) forms a crescent in the north of the Dordogne département from the Limousin in the east to the Gironde in the west. It literally is ‘green’ comprising woodland and agricultural land with cereals and the local Limousin dairy cattle. The author Jules Verne first observed the ‘green’ nature of the area and he suggested the...

France has many pretty villages throughout its regions and there are many of these scattered around the Périgord and Quercy. Living villages not theme parks There are a few which have something special however, and deserve the term ‘beautiful’. As a consequence, in 1981 Charles Ceyrac, mayor of Collonges-la-Rouge, came up with an idea to promote this concept. 66 of his...

The small town of Martel was built on the Upper or Northern Quercy causse to which it has given its name. Known as the town of the seven towers after the medieval towers which dominate the skyline. There is much of interest here including the aforementioned towers. Start at the place des Consuls where there is an 18th Century covered...

Located at the Gare de Martel just out of the town centre the Chemin de Fer Touristique du Haut Quercy (CFTHQ) is a non-profit making organisation founded in 1991 to safeguard the old railway from Martel to St Denis Lès Martel. During WW2 the line was used to transport truffles hence the affectionate name pf ‘Le Truffadou‘ given to the...

Clinging to the cliff face above the Alzou river is one of the most remarkable sites in Europe. Rocamadour was named after a local hermit who was dubbed by the locals ‘rock lover’ or ‘Roc Amator’ in Oc due to his love of the rocks amongst which he dwelled. Since the Middle Ages this has been a site of pilgrimage...

The medieval fortress and the village at its foot is an magnificent sight especially when viewed from the D60 road from Larche east of the village. Impressive it may be but you will have to admire the Château from the outside as it is currently being restored and does not accept visitors. The towers with their conical rooves give an...

France boasts some of the best markets in Europe and many of these can be found in the South West. Arguably the finest of all is in the Dordogne at Sarlat. There are two markets throughout the week but the best is the Saturday event. This spreads right through the Old Town and along the main street, the rue de la...

The tiny hamlet of St-Crépin-Carlucet is hidden away in the Périgord Noir to the west of Salignac just off the D60 road. This charming collection of pretty houses with lauzes rooves, a church with a fascinating cemetery incorporating tombs set into a wall and the  Renaissance Château Lacypierre.. It even comes complete with a village green and an 18th century...

The beautiful village of St Geniès nestles in greenery north of Sarlat just off the Montignac road. By and large, few would disagree that it is the epitome of how a perfect French village should look. Surprisingly not on the list of Plus Beaux Villages, for reasons which elude this author, it certainly should not be missed. A village green and lauzes...

The source of the Dordogne is in the Massif Centrale on the Puy de Sancy in the Auvergne Region. It then flows south-east along the border between the Cantal and Corrèze départements, through magnificent gorges before heading east under the Pont de Chambon and via the Barrage de Chastang where the river is dammed, till it reaches the Quercy and...

The river Vézère is often overshadowed by its big sister the river Dordogne and although it is in fact a tributary of the latter it is in many respects its equal. Known in the Occitan language as Vesera the river is relatively short at only about 134 miles (211 km) long. It begins its journey in the Massif Centrale and...

The Périgord Blanc or White Périgord (See Map) is the central part of the Périgord. It contains the capital and main city of the Dordogne département, Périgueux. The name for this area derives from the many outcrops of chalky limestone that proliferate around the countryside. Périgueux Many visitors come to the White Périgord to visit Périgueux in order to see its unusual Byzantine...