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THE DORDOGNE - AQUITAINE
The Dordogne's beautiful, unspoilt countryside has survived over the centuries because the landscape does not have the sort of resources that attract heavy industry or large-scale modern farming techniques. It does, however, harbour hidden treasures, many of which have only been revealed since the mid-nineteenth century. Even in the Victorian era the area around Les Eyzies became well known amongst certain intellectuals: the pioneering prehistorians. The discoveries of ancient skeletons, carved artefacts and cave art are remarkable both in their number and quality. Les Eyzies quickly became the centre for prehistory. Later on, the National Museum for Prehistory was founded here rather than in Paris. Today people from all over the world flock to Les Eyzies to visit the various sites nearby. Lascaux is perhaps the most famous, only a short drive away.
However Font-de-Gaume, Les Combarelles and Cap Blanc are also superb examples of creative image-making that is some 15,000 to 17,000 years old.
In visiting these sites you will discover that our ancestors not only did superb drawings and paintings but engravings and sculpture as well.
The Vézère Valley, where Les Eyzies nestles, is so rich in millennia of human history that it has been designated a World Heritage site by UNESCO. It is in this valley that you can visit two outstanding troglodyte villages. Le Roque St. Christophe has traces of habitation from the era of Neanderthal people up until the beginning of the Renaissance. The fortified community was attacked by the English in the Hundred Years War. La Madeleine (Tursac), a major site of prehistoric importance, was occupied until the 1920s.
The site at La Madeleine is directly beneath the ruins of a 15th century castle. This region is particularly well endowed with military architecture. Two rival castles, both with their foundations in the 12th century, face each other on either side of the Dordogne River. Beynac and Castelnau represent the era of feudal conflicts that reached its climax with the war between the English and French kings during the 13th to 15th centuries, and are perhaps the most spectacular examples of the many others open to the public.
Fortifications also extended to entire villages. The hilltop village of Domme with its panoramic views of the Dordogne River is well worth a visit. Its three gateways and ramparts still stand and the massive "Porte des Tours" incorporates a prison, in which some of the Templars were thrown in 1307 at the command of the French king. Their graffitti can still be seen on the prison walls.
Domme is a "bastide" village, a medieval new town. There are several hundreds of them in the south west quarter of France. Their inhabitants had their freedom and elected consuls to run internal matters. Most "bastides" have a characteristic grid layout of streets, with a central market place surrounded with arches or "couverts". Monpazier and Villefranche-du-Périgord are two well preserved examples, still displaying their grain measures in the market square.
The Dordogne is as rich in gastronomic traditions as it is in historic monuments. The regional specialities include foie gras, confit, truffles and ceps. Visitors must allow themselves time to savour the local produce, to saunter through the many local markets. Exploring the restaurants of the region is as important as discovering its history. One can linger over a meal in while drinking in the exquisite charm of a picturesque village or town : Sarlat-la-Canéda, Bourdeilles, Brantôme, La Roque-Gageac, Limeuil. Périgueux, from which comes the old name for the region, Périgord, is the capital of the Dordogne. Here is a feast awaiting both the historian and the gourmet. Bergerac is a good place to start to explore the wine region for Bergerac, Pechémont and Montbazillac wines.
The Dordogne river provides superb opportunities for lovers of water sports (including water skiing), walking, horse-riding, hot air ballooning, speleology, hang gliding and much more. Indeed here you have the best of both the ancient and modern worlds for your vacation. |
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