The Dordogne, Limousin & the Lot

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The Jardins de Marqueyssac feature some 150,000 hand-pruned boxwoods

Andrew Montgomery

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Overview

The Dordogne, Limousin and the Lot are the heart and soul of la belle France, a land of dense oak forests, winding rivers, emerald-green fields and famously rich country cooking. It’s the stuff of which French dreams are made: turreted châteaux and medieval villages line the riverbanks, wooden-hulled gabarres (traditional flat-bottomed, wooden boats) ply the waterways, and market stalls overflow with pâté, truffles, walnuts, cheeses and fine wines.

Attractions

Must-see attractions

Reconstruction of cave paintings of animals inside Lascaux II.

Grotte de Lascaux

The Dordogne

France’s most famous prehistoric cave paintings are at the Grotte de Lascaux, 2km southeast of Montignac. Naturally sealed and protected for millennia, it…

Château de Beynac

The Dordogne

Towering gloriously atop a limestone bluff, this 12th-century fortress’ panoramic position above the Dordogne made it a key defensive position during the…

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Château de Castelnaud

The Dordogne

The massive ramparts and metre-thick crenellated walls of this quintessential medieval fortress (occupied by the English during the Hundred Years War)…

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Cathédrale St-Front

The Dordogne

Périgueux’ most distinctive landmark is most notable for its five creamy Byzantine tower-topped domes (inspired by either St Mark’s Basilica in Venice or…

Musée des Beaux Arts

Limoges

The city’s wonderful art museum is inside the beautifully restored 18th-century bishops’ palace. Get an overview of the town's history through Roman…

Grotte de Font de Gaume

The Dordogne

This extraordinary cave contains the only original polychrome (as opposed to single-colour) paintings still open to the public. About 14,000 years ago,…

Grotte de Rouffignac

The Dordogne

Hidden in woodland 18km north of Les Eyzies, this tri-level cave is one of the most complex and rewarding to see in the Dordogne. Board an electric train…