The Perigord Noir

The Périgord Noir is rich in natural beauty and offers a diverse range of attractions and activities for visitors: from canoeing down the River Dordogne, to medieval castles, chateaux, pretty villages and even the chance to follow in the footsteps of our prehistoric ancestors. With such an abundance of places to visit and things to do, there really is something for everyone here and many are only a short drive from  Sarlat .

 

The region has more than its fair share of picturesque towns and villages, with 10 of Aquitaine's 15 "Plus Beaux Villages de France"  found in the Périgord: Beynac, Castelnaud-la-Chapelle, La Roque-Gageac and Domme are all under 20 minutes away with St-Amand-de-Coly, St-Léon-sur-Vézère, Limeuil and Belvès less than 40 minutes and Monpazier less than an hour.

 

Canoeing on the River Dordogne - the Dordogne is a slow flowing river with plenty of river beaches where you can stop for a little while, so why not take your time and bring a picnic? There are  numerous canoe operators  along the river offering canoe hire and when you've finished your canoe trip they'll drop you back to your original pick up point. It's a truly blissful way to wile away a few hours.

 

Known as "the land of 1001 castles" the Périgord has more than its fair share of  Castles and Chateaux . A few of the popular ones are listed below and are well worth a visit:

- Chateau de Castelnaud 

 - Chateau de Beynac 

 - Chateau de Commarque

 - Chateau des Milandes 

 - Chateau de Puymartin

 

At Limeuil, the River Vézère meets the River Dordogne and as you follow the Vézère northwards it is here, in the UNESCO listed Vezere Valley ,  where you will find an enormous wealth of prehistoric dwellings and cave paintings : 

 - Lascaux IV

 - Font de Gaume

 - Rouffignac Cave

 - Bara Bahau Cave

 - The Fortified House of Reignac

 - Roque Saint Christoph

   

There's also spectacular chasms and caves at:

 - Gouffre de Proumeyssac 

 - Gouffre de Padirac (in Lot)

 

More recreation and activity parks  and other places of interest:

 - Cabanes de Breuil

 - Le Thot

 - Le Bournat

 - Pre-histo Park

 - Monkey Forest

 - The Gardens of Marqueyssac

 

Click on any photo on the left to view them in more detail or see the slideshow on our Photos  page.