A few random Dordogne questions
 

I understand the Le Bugue market is on Tuesdays. Would it be a good idea to do that first thing, then canoe afterwards? Also, regarding visiting the prehistoric sites/caves, are all days equally busy, or would mid-week be less busy than weekends? Lastly, can some of you experts post some less touristy favorite sites throughout the Dordogne region? We'll be there for over a week and have all the usual sites marked, but we'd like to get off the beaten path a little. We like quaint towns and hiking. Thanks!

Hi S,

What's your itinerary?

When are you going?

((I))

Late May/early June 2007. We don't have a blow-by-blow itinerary, but generally speaking we're looking at the schedule below (renting a house in Domme; we divided up the map in sections around the town--what's listed below contains things of interest, but we may not do everything each day).

Day 1: arriving from the north; Brantome, Bourdeilles, Perigueux

Day ?: NE of Domme--Rocamadour, Gouffre de Padirac, Autoire, possibly drive through Turenne and/or Dollonges-la-Rouge

Day ?: N--Sarlat, Montfort, Jardins d'Eyrignac, Salignac-Eyvigues, possibly St. Genies

Day ?: N-preshist--Lascaux II, Font de Gaume, La Roque St. Christophe, prehistoric museum/parc

Day ?: NW--Beynac-Cazenac, Castelnaud, les Milandes, Limueil, Tremolat

Day ?: S--Monpazier, Bonaguil, Villefrance-du-Perigord

Day ?: canoeing on the Dordogne and...

Last day: SE (leaving the area & driving towards Provence)--Pech-Merle, St. Cirq-Lapopie

Days have question marks because we haven't pinned down what to do on which days. Appreciate any advice you can pass along! Many thanks.

Do you have my 20+ page itinerary for the Dordogne?? If not, e-mail me at [email protected] & I'll send you a copy. Lots more stuff to do there than you have listed on your post.

Stu Dudley

I do have your itinerary Stu, and we'll definitely use lots of your ideas (especially restaurants & views/picnic spots along the way). Just wanted to list the major spots in my post & see if anyone had any off-the-beaten path gems! Also, haven't seen much here re hiking in the area, so I'd appreciate info on that as well. Thanks all.

If you're seriously into hiking get the Grane Randonnée map when you get to the Dordogne. It lists all the trails. Just please do not stop on the one that goes by the back of my house and picnic on my roof - I hate it when people do that!

There are nice hikes along the rivers, even a good long bike path in Groléjac. But really, you can hike anywhere. If you want to combine a hike with discovery of "your own" prehistoric site, go to St-Léon-sur-Vézère, park by the river, cross the bridge, and turn left onto the path. Follow it high up into the cliffs until you come to the ancient medieval door on your right. Reach into the hole in the door an dunlatch it frmo within if it's locked. Follow the stairs up.........enjoy! You caan then continue to Castel-Merle for another unique cave experience.

You'll have to go to the market n Le Bugue before you go canoeing because if you go canoeing in the morning, the market will be gone by the time you get back there.

Just curious why St-Geniès is on your list. It's a cute little place, but just one of about a thousand like it.

Given the list of things you're attempting to see and do in a week, I doubt you'll have time for any further activity. That's a fairly packed schedule.

Bonne route!

Sorry, that whould be Grande not Grane...

Less touristy: Saint Jean de Côle, Bourdeilles, Saint Amand de Coly (although it has serious ambitions in spite of its small size), Périgueux is less touristy than Sarlat and has, in my opinion, a better market on Wednesday and Saturday. It also has La Vésuna museum, which is interesting as a museum of a Roman ruin and as a Jean Nouvel building.

Hi S,

I think that the canoing on he Dordogne is usually between La Roque Gageac and Bezenac.

If you are going to Beynac, why not do your canoe day then?

((I))

suffrock, if you go to the Le Bugue market first you can pick up picque-nicque supplies for your canoe trip. There are segments and photos about the Le Bugue market and canoeing on the Dordogne in my trip report as well as many of the other places you mention. http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=34839073

May/June is wild orchid season in the Dordogne so to keep an eye open on your walks. We even saw some bee and lizard orchids on the path up to the cave at Font de Gaume last June.

Caves are quite an intense experience so I’d suggest spreading them out rather than all on the same day. Besides, the English language tours may be at different times this year but last June they were at 11:00 at Font de Gaume and 12:30 at Lascaux II so it may be impossible to see both on the same day. The tour guides provide a lot of interesting information so you will want to take the English tours unless your French is very good.

Consider visiting a walnut mill. There is one called Moulin de la Tour at Ste-Nathalène just northeast of Sarlat that we visited and another near Martel where you can eat lunch.

St. Amand-de-Coly is a prettier little village than St-Geniès. La Meynardie is a very good restaurant with a lovely outdoor terrace located in the countryside between St. Amand and Salignac.

Périgueux is about an hour drive from Sarlat but you could see some of the places you mention on the way there or back. Besides the great Wednesday market, you can pick up a map in the tourist office and follow the guide through the old town.

For StCirq: I am jumping in, too, since, like suffrock, enjoy hiking and less "discovered" places- so we would probably both like more information about the cool sounding cave (?)at the top of the hike with that secret door! Can you tell us more, if we promise to not come stomping around on your roof with our picnic baskets?! Thank you!

Well, I really don't like spreading the word about this place because it is kind of "secret," so it might be best to email me at [email protected] to find out more about it.

Thanks for the info. Exactly what I'm looking for. As for St. Genies--I added it to our itinerary because it sounded intriguing in the Michelin guide (you know how that goes--grain of salt & all). We'll reconsider it now. We'll also spread out our cave visits over different days. Merci!

Well, we love St Genies - the most wonderful lauze roofs you are ever likely to see. Good market there on Sunday morning as well, small but charming. I wouldnt take it off the list, but obviously opinions vary. We usually recommend people do St Genies, St Amand de Coly, and St Crepin et Carlucet - the little chateau at St Crepin is possibly the loveliest you will ever see. Park your car at the top of the hill and walk down to get the full impression of the chateau tucked into the low hills. Not usually open, but worth walking around. Quite magical.

Salignac, however, although 12 km. from where I live, is not a big tourist site. A drive through town to see the chateau is enough - and only if you're on the way to somewhere else.

Sorry Ira, canoeing usually starts upriver of La Roque Gageac. Most leave around Cenac (Domme) and go to Beynac. Some start higher up, but the big sites (chateaux, villages) are in the Cenac/Beynac stretch.

Thank you for the correction, Carlux.

Still, it's only 4 km further up river.

Wouldn't combining a canoe day with a visit to Beynac and Castelnaud work?

((I))

The chapel on the little hill above the center of St. Geniès has interesting remains of 15th century frescoes. The boulangerie has a delicious flat bread, but they usually run out before 11 a.m.

We stayed in the area north of Sarlat near Salignac and so St-Geniès and St-Amand-de-Coly were nearby. St-Geniès is lovely and at its best during the Sunday morning market. Enjoyed the chapel with the frescoes. St-Amand-de-Coly was one of the places where I felt the most transported back in time. The church and little lanes in the village are paved with large irregular stones, and it is not at all gussied up. The church has a tiny spiral staircase (officially off limits)that leads to the narrow balcony above the apse. Depending how your days go, you could also combine St-Amand with Lascaux II. The little jewel of a chateau that Carlux mentioned was a five minute walk from our house. As you approach it on the road, you do feel as though you've stepped into a fairy tale. If you are coming from the direction of Le Poujol to St. Crepin, you can continue on the little road past Lacypierre, the chateau, to Carlucet which gets a mention in the Michelin for the recessed tombs in its church's cemetery and enjoys a very pretty position over the little valley. Salignac itself has a chateau that wasn't open when we were there and also all the things you need if you're renting nearby but otherwise is not particulary scenic. La Meynardie would be a very nice lunch spot in that area.