Table of Contents
I know I said in my swimwear for mid-section scars post that I wasn’t posting a photo diary of this years holiday and that was true. Until I looked at the photos I had and realised that they needed to be shared. These places are dotted around both regions but they are ones that I’ve been to more than once and would highly recommend taking a camera to.
1. Domme
I always manage to get amazing photos when I go to Domme. It’s a hill-top town and the views are great. It’s a small place so quite easy to get around and wander traditional French streets. There’s a cute bookshop and there is also a cave tour that you can go on to. There are lots of naturally formed caves in the area and they are a great way to spend a hot day as they’re so cool. Just make sure you have decent footwear as they’re wet and can be slippy underfoot.
2. Sarlat-La-Canèda
Sarlat-la-Canéda is my favourite place in the Dordogne. It’s the scene of many family holidays as a child and the place that I knew I wanted to take my husband to as well. Turned out he’d also been here as a child with his parents. Still didn’t help me find the geese statue though! We spent days trying to find it then found it by accident. But it meant I knew where it was when I wanted an outfit photo!
Sarlat is a medieval town and you can see it in the architecture. I love just wandering the streets, especially when it’s market day. There’s so much to see and the walnut cake is an absolute must if you’re in the area.
3. Prayssac
Prayssac is in the Lot region and although it’s a small place is a great one to stop at for patisserie or for lunch. I will admit there’s not much else to do there but who needs to do anything when you can sit outside with a croissant or two and people watch.
4. Rocamadour
Rocamadour is a clifftop town in the Lot and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. It’s the nearest town to the Padirac caves which I’ve listed as a must-see at the bottom of this post. It’s the perfect place for lunch outside and with parking, for 5 euros for 24 hours, you can wander off and not need to worry about parking charges.
5. La Roque Gageac
This is the town that you’ll quite often see as the front page of magazines to advertise the Dordogne and for good reason. It’s beautiful. Walking through the village is like wandering through an exotic garden as you walk up the hill. I’ve got lots of pictures of plants that I never thought I would see in France. This is because the cliff protects the village from cold weather and it gets plenty of sun due to being south facing.
6. Perigueux
This is the Saint-Etienne church in Perigueux (it used to be the cathedral) and I’m only upset that I didn’t get to see the inside. We made the mistake of going here on a Sunday and arrived after the service had already started. There are lots of pretty little streets here but my god did we manage to get lost. We forgot to make a note of where we parked the car and walked round in circles for a bit before finding the right road to walk back down.
The other issue with visiting a big place on a Sunday is most of the shops are shut but this does mean that the streets are quiet so it’s a toss-up of what matters to you.
Perigueux is a beautiful town and I wish we’d seen more of it, to be honest. The tourist office for the region has some brilliant info on what to see in the region and this includes the list of Roman architecture that I only found about after we left! I didn’t do as much research about what there was to do as I should have done.
7. Bergerac
Bergerac is one of the larger towns of the region and is classified as a town of Art & History. The old town is the highlight of a trip to Bergerac and there’s even a numbered walk to make sure you see the most important parts of the town.
You’ll also find lots of statues of Cyrano de Bergerac around the town too but apparently, he never actually set foot in the town!
8. Puy-l’Eveque
Puy-l’Eveque is what I can only describe as being traditionally French. It’s a small town but is a fab place for a walk taking in the sun and there’s even a boat tour that you can do. This is where this picture was taken from and gives you a good idea of the geography of the town. It’s on a hill so a bit more of a strenuous walk but it was worth it for the views and the dog pictures that I managed to grab.
9. Gramat Animal Park
We loved this animal park so much that we’ve been twice. It’s a fab morning walk – can get too hot there in the afternoon. I’d also do it on a shady day as it’s a total sun trap and you’re bound to get sunburnt otherwise.
There’s also a picnic area so you can take your own food and make a full day of it if you want. It’s definitely only a place that you can get to by car though so I would factor that into your plans.
10. Gouffre de Padirac
These are a huge cave system and although there are lots in the area these are definitely worth a visit. There is a lot of walking and a lot of stairs so sturdy shoes and a waterproof are a must. There’s also an audio guide which is interesting but also has some acting of the journal of the explorer that found the caves. I could have done without this but it made the audio guide longer and more interesting for those that hadn’t been there before.
One tip if you do visit the caves – don’t eat at the restaurants nearby. Hugely overpriced and the food isn’t what you would expect for being in France. We made that mistake and I was ill that night. Book your tickets ahead of time so that you’re out of the caves and can get somewhere else like Rocamadour for your lunch.
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If you’re planning a trip to the Dordogne these are the top places that I think you should visit but there is a lot more to do than I’ve posted about. I swear I have a list a mile long of the places I’d still like to go to.
