Inspiration

5 UNMISSABLE ACTIVITIES FOR YOUR CUSTOMERS IN DORDOGNE VALLEY

Designed to inspire your programme development, these five must-do activities highlight Dordogne valley’s key experiences. Easy to integrate into your itineraries, they add value to your stays and respond to your clients’ expectations on the destination.

Table of contents

Caves, major sites, and the memory of our origins

1. JOURNEYING THROUGH THE MILLENNIA, FROM PREHISTORY TO THE PRESENT DAY

Lascaux and the great prehistoric sites offer a powerful angle for cultural itineraries and international clientele.

Start by exploring the Vézère Valley’s famous caves filled with prehistoric cave art, the most famous being the UNESCO-listed Lascaux Cave. The Centre International de la Préhistoire has been awarded the French environmental standard for its sustainable tourism policy. The true-to-life replicas of cave art created by man 15,000 years ago are a real sight for sore eyes.
Step back in your time machine and travel along the Dordogne to visit the valley of 1001 castles. Some of the best-known châteaux hail from the Middle Ages: Castelnaud-la-Chapelle, Beynac, La Roque-Gageac and the Renaissance Château des Milandes where Joséphine Baker lived.
Wander around lovely and lively historical towns such as Sarlat, Brive and Périgueux. Don’t miss the many villages including Collonges-la-Rouge, Turenne and Domme as the area has one of the highest concentrations of “Plus Beaux Villages de France”.

Kayaking, hiking, spectacular landscapes, and total escape

2. DRIFTING DOWN THE DORDOGNE IN NATURE MODE

A gentle, accessible outdoor programme, perfect for families and slow-travel stays.

Set sail on an adventure in the UNESCO Biosphere’s unspoilt nature on a kayak ride down the Dordogne.
Sail back up the Dordogne in a gabarre, the region’s traditional boat, past beautiful towns and châteaux such as Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne and Beynac.

Markets, producers, traditional know-how, and generous wines

3. DISCOVERING THIS CRADLE OF SOUTH-WESTERN CUISINE AND THE BERGERAC VINEYARD

A gourmet destination par excellence, ideal for epicurean groups and terroir-focused itineraries.

The region is full of markets to visit everywhere from the smallest villages to the biggest towns (e.g. Brive, Sarlat, Périgueux or Bergerac). Indulge in signature local and seasonal produce: truffle, mushrooms, walnuts, duck and fine wine. The markets open at night in summer so people can get together and soak up the evening atmosphere over a meal.
Explore Quai Cyrano in Bergerac, the gateway to the surrounding vineyard, and visit the opulent Château de Monbazillac to feast your senses on its namesake sweet wine.

An aesthetic interlude, where nature meets the art of gardening

4. STROLLING THROUGH EXCEPTIONAL GARDENS AND LANDSCAPES

Remarkable gardens, sweeping views, and villages: a poetic, premium angle to enhance any itinerary.

Parks in the Dordogne Valley are effortlessly chic: head to the Jardins deMarqueyssac and its “belvedere over the Dordogne”, JardinsSothys, and the historical grounds at Manoir d’Eyrignac. Don’t miss the Jardins de l’Imaginaire in Terrasson, Jardins Panoramiques in Limeuil, Sardy’s romantic park or the Jardins d’Eau water gardens in Carsac in the magical world of impressionism.

Gourmet nature, bastide towns, and river tourism

5. TO THE SOUTH, EXPLORING THE LOT AND GARONNE VALLEYS: ORCHARDS ON FOOT AND RIVER ESCAPES

A natural gateway to the South, ideal for building combined Dordogne–Lot–Garonne programmes.

Explore the diverse scenery in the neighbouring Lot and Garonne Valleys: leafy orchards, babbling rivers, beautiful bastides and “villages with personality” around Agen and Villeneuve-sur-Lot (Pujols, Penne-d’Agenais, Monflanquin, Villeréal and Tournon: 5 “Plus Beaux Villages de France”). Wander through the orchards in this “land of plenty” and feast on local produce (plums, strawberries, tomatoes, walnuts, wine etc.).
Set sail on a Lot River adventure or the Canal des Deux Mers, ending on a high at the amazing Agen aqueduct.
Spend quality time relaxing with the family at the Landes de Gascogne Center Parcs in Casteljaloux.

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