The picturesque castle towers over Beynac

Divine Dordogne

In my Fascinating French Finds Secret post, I detailed a few wonderful discoveries on our road trip from the Dordogne region to the Provence region of France. Now, I would love to present you with a list of charming villages in the Dordogne area. We have truly fallen in love with this particular part of France.

 

The Dordogne River lazily flows past the dazzling La Roque Gageac

 

Dordogne is a department in southwest France, set between the Loire Valley and Pyrenees mountains. Part of the Aquitaine region in south-west France, just one hour’s drive to the east of Bordeaux, Dordogne Périgord is one of the largest and most picturesque “départements” in France, while it is also one of the most prolific in terms of its numerous historic buildings. Here you will discover unspoiled nature, grandiose landscapes, and a plethora of magical sights teeming with history. Notably, the prehistoric caves in the Vézère valley, which prove that man has been present in the Dordogne for the past 450,000 years. In the Dordogne Valley you can visit castles from the Middle Ages and the Renaissance, which once played a part in the Hundred Years’ War, and the Wars of Religion that raged there. 45 castles in the Périgord are now open to the public to visit. Also great to visit are beautiful medieval villages, Romanesque churches adorned with sculpted tympanums, water mills in the landscapes of the Périgord Vert, and renowned towns of art and history.

 

The Lascaux II cave, known as the Sistine Chapel of Prehistory, is in the village of Montignac

 

Beynac – On the Dordogne, 8 km SW of Sarlat-la-Canéda

Castelnaud-la-Chapelle, 10 km from Sarlat-la-Canéda

Domme – On the Dordogne, 8 km SW of Sarlat-la-Canéda

Limeuil – 30 km W of Sarlat-la-Canéda; 5 km SW of La Bugue. 15 km NW of Belves

Monpazier – 15km S of Domme

La Roque-Gageac – 8 km S of Sarlat-la-Canéda

Saint-Amand-de-Coly – close to Lascaux

Saint-Jean-de-Cole – 16km from Brantome

Saint Leon sur Vezere – In the Vézère Valley between Montignac and Les Eyzies

This website is the epitome of an excellent site listing the most beautiful villages in France. Do not go to this country without looking at this list before you leave !  https://www.les-plus-beaux-villages-de-france.org/en

What OTHER villages in the Dordogne have you visited and fallen in love with ???

 

Canoeing on the Dordogne is a perfect afternoon treat