Dordogne

Dordogne (Occitan: Dordonha) is a department in central France named after the Dordogne River.

The beauty of the region is unsurpassed; rivers cut through limestone, leaving fantastic cliffs people have built around and into for thousands of years. The vast system of caves below the earth hold art so old it's difficult to think that people could have been so talented back then. And the cuisine is one of the best in all of the world. After all, the Perigord is known for Truffles and foie gras, two of the most sensuous tastes on the planet. You'll find lots of duck and goose cooked in interesting ways. There are many chateau in the Dordogne as well, a density similar to the famous Loire castles, just less visited.

The Dordogne is just inland from Bordeaux, so wine is no problem. Famous dessert wine is produced at Monbazilac, and cheap, adequate reds are produced around Bergerac.

The Dordogne is compact and full of things to do. It's a great place to take the kids.

The Dordogne is known to the French as the Perigord. It is divided into four regions: the black perigord, the purple perigord, the green and the white. The most magical of all the Périgord and also the most visited is the Périgord Noir, the black perigord. It has beautiful rivers, pretty golden stone villages, fabulous chateaux and extraordinary prehistoric caves. It takes its name from the very dark colour of the oak trees but some people like to believe it was the truffle (sometimes called black diamond because of its price on the open market) which gave it its name. The town of Sarlat is one of the highlights in this region, as is La Roque Gageac and Domme.

Situated to the South around Bergerac the Purple perigord is named after the colour of the vineyards which cover the hills. This part of France was brought to the English Crown by Eleanor of Aquitaine when she married Henry II who became King of England very shortly after their wedding. Aquitaine remained English for many years, until the French King, Philippe Auguste, decided to take it back after the death of Richard the Lionheart. Most of the villages in the Périgord Pourpre are "bastides" or fortified market towns. The "bastides" were built in the 13th century, by Edward I, Eleanor's grand-son, to consolidate his position in Aquitaine. The French soon realised how useful the "bastides" were, so they started building their own. The biggest town is Nontron but it is a little dull by Périgord standards. However, it has a Toy and Doll Museum.