In this section: Dordogne | The Lot | Regional Food & Drink

The Dordogne region – known locally at the Perigord - has been a major attraction to British tourists for many years and is still the most popular destination in France for second home owners.  The British link could be said to go back to the time of the Plantagenet Kings, when Henry II of England married Elinor of Acquitaine to unite the countries briefly until the end of the Hundred Years war.    

The Lot is less well-known but has begun to see a sharp increase in visitors over the past few years, and provides an interesting contrast to the Dordogne to the North.  Both are areas of exceptional beauty, marked by old villages, castles, pre-historical sites, etc.

 

The River Dordogne runs about 40km north of Chateau de Rodie so this is an easy area for you to get to and explore further. 

This is quintessential rural France - no other area of France has such variety.  There are thick woods, the deep river valleys, quaint villages and market towns, fertile fields and vineyards, the chateaux, loads of caves with prehistoric art, Roman remains, and so on.  It is also a gastronomic heaven – as we discuss in more detail below

These are some of the sights that are within easy striking distance of the Chateau de Rodie.

There is the village of Sarlat, one of the most perfectly preserved in France.  Just downstream is La Rogue-Gageac, located under a cliff on the banks of the river Dordogne and offering boat trips on the river.  Then there is the Chateau de Beynac, previously owned by Richard the Lionheart. 

The town of Les Eyzies-de-Tayac has the National Museum of Prehistory, an unrivalled collection.  This area is where the first example of Cro-Magnon man was discovered.  But the most famous prehistoric site is the Grotte de Lascaux – a huge complex of cave paintings discovered in 1940.  The Hall of the Bulls is a stunning experience.

Close to Bergerac is the Chateau de Montaigne, the home of the famous essayist / philosopher, France’s equivalent to Shakespeare.

Further south, there is the romantic Chateau at Monbazillac, the fortified towns of Beaumont, Belves and especially Monpazier, together with the former Cistercian abbey at Cadouin, all well-worth a visit

 

The Lot is, geographically, a transitional zone between the rolling hills of the Massif Central and the Aquitaine Basin.  Overshadowed slightly by Dordogne to the north, this region has plenty to offer and is slowly being discovered by visitors.  For instance, like the Dordogne, there is a substantial pre-historical presence and there are at least two extraordinary cave sites to rival Lascaux.

The northern part of the Lot revolves around Rocamadour (for more details follow the link).  This is a must-see sight – one of France’s most visited Pilgrimage sites. 

Close by, and an ideal accompaniment to a visit to Rocamadour is the cave complex of Gouffre de Padirac.  There are so many caves in this area of France but this is probably the most amazing.  The entrance to it is via the bottom of an enormous round pothole covered in foliage.  This can be accessed by an elegant wrought-iron lift and stairs built on one side of the pothole.  The cave proper is then 100m below ground and you exit close to the river where a short boat returns you to the starting point.  Highly recommended.

Also close by to these sights is Carennac, one of the prettiest villages on the banks of the Dordogne

Further south, the River Lot, which flows close to the Chateau, is the focus for a series of great places to visit.  Around 40km upstream, on the Cele tributary of the Lot, is the town of Figeac, dating back to the 9th century.  It is the birthplace of the man who deciphered the Rosetta Stone and there is an enormous replica of this in the Place des Ecritures.  Further downstream, there are more caves featuring prehistoric art at Pech-Merles, and this is then followed by the village of St-Cirq-Lapopie, widely considered to be one of the most beautiful villages in France.

From there, the Lot flows down to Cahors (see link for more details) and on to the bastide town of Villeneuve-sur-Lot and the city of Agen

 

South-west France has perhaps the most varied culinary styles in France, due to the large climate variations between the different regions.  Peasant food is the bedrock of this cuisine – a wide variety of soups, for instance, ranging from basic to quite sumptuous.

The region has some of the best charcuterie in France.  There are lots of hams, of which the best known is Jambon de Bayonne, pates and saucisses, the latter especially around Toulouse.  The region also has some of the finest foie gras in France, especially in the Dordogne, but you should avoid the tins or jars as these are a pale shadow of the fresh produce.

Another famous regional dish is Cassoulet – a calorie packed casserole of various meats and haricot beans, that is closely linked to Toulouse.   Roquefort, a ewe’s blue cheese, is the most famous cheese of the area and there are various goats’ cheeses.

And, of course, the wine is perhaps the best in the world.  Centred around Bordeaux for the highest quality, there are also many more individualistic vineyards throughout the region.  Some of the most famous wines include the individual vineyards of Chateau Lafite and Chateau Latour, and the regions of St Emilion, Pomerol, Medoc, Graves, etc.  Nearly 90% of the local wine is red, the classic blend of cabernet and merlot grapes being copied throughout the world. 

The vineyards around Bergerac are also worth looking at.  For instance, many of you will have read Patricia Atkinson’s The Ripening Sun, her account of her move to France to take on a small vineyard.  Clos d’Yvigne, her vineyard, is about 25km away from the Chateau de Rodie and can be visited.