Dordogne Walk |
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Lunch in Saint Leon
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Your hotel room full of roses
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Grab a paddle if you're tired of walking
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Only the French do food this beautiful!
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"The Hiker's Bistrot" welcomes you
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We stay two nights in a real château!
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Meet a real truffle hound
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Beautiful Sarlat
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Dordogne Walk Itinerary
TOUR AT A GLANCE -
Duration: 8 days/7 Nights
Departures: private departures only, please contact us for details.
Trip departs: Hotel Talleyrand, Périgueux, on the morning of Day 2
Trip ends: at Brive La Gaillarde train station, 9 a.m. Day 8
Trip price: €2,100 per person based on double occupancy & a group size of six people. Groups of four; €2,300 per person. Single supplement: €320.
Click on the Currency Converter to see the price in your local currency.
The Dordogne region of southwest France is rich in both natural beauty and historic treasures. Our distant ancestors lived in the region 20,000 years ago and left amazing cave paintings as a testament to their spirit and creativity. Thousands of years later, medieval pilgrims and noblemen built some of the most beautiful abbeys and castles in all of Europe. Even today, the Dordogne has more castles per square mile than any other area of France!
Our walking trip explores the villages, castles, traditions and history of the Dordogne, allowing you to enjoy the beauty of the countryside as well. We walk along the shores of powerful rivers, through lush forests, and along quiet country roads. And this wouldn't be France without good food and wine! There are plenty of opportunities to sample the region's famous cuisine, like foie gras, black truffles, walnuts, and the powerful Cahors wines. Our seven-night trip features charming hotels and excellent cuisine.
(Luggage is transferred by van. 1 night Périgueux, 2 nights Monpazier, Les Eyzies and Montignac. Trip ends at Brive la Gaillarde train station.)
Day 1 - Saturday: Independent arrival in Périgueux and check
in at the Hotel Le Talleyrand. Périgueux can be reached from Paris by
direct train (travel time about 4.5 hours). It is
a charming walled medieval town located on the Isle river. Be sure to visit the beautiful museum housing a Gallo-Roman villa from 16 BC, and the cathedral which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage site commemorating the pilgrimage route of Santiago di Compostela. Overnight in Périgueux. Hotel included.
Day 2 - Sunday: 8:30 pick-up at the Hotel Talleyrand for a one-hour transfer to the countryside. Our first walk takes us up to the Château
de Biron, one of the most impressive fortified castles in the Dordogne
region. It dates from the 12th-century and gives us a fascinating glimpse of medieval life. Lunch is
at the Auberge du Château,
a family-run bistro next to the castle. After lunch we walk to the walled village of Monpazier, a fortified hamlet ("Bastide")
established by King Edward I in 1284. Our hotel for the next two nights
is the Hotel Edward 1er, a 19th-century turreted castle that has been
transformed into a lovely four-star inn, complete with a small
swimming pool. Enjoy a welcome apéritif before dinner in the intimate
dining room of the hotel. Hotel, breakfast and dinner included.
Day 3 - Monday: Short transfer to the village of Beaumont, an English bastide.
Bastides were walled fortress villages built by both the French and
English during the Hundred Years' War. Beaumont's first stones were
laid in 1272 and its fortified 13th-century church stands as testimony
to those troubled times. Our walk takes us to the Château
de Bannes, where we will stop for a picnic lunch next to the Romanesque
church. We loop back through orchards and walnut groves to Beaumont.
There is time to explore Monpazier's shops and alleyways or enjoy a dip
in the pool before dinner in the village square at an excellent local
restaurant specializing in Magret de Canard. Overnight in Monpazier. Hotel, breakfast, and dinner included.
Day 4 - Tuesday: Transfer to Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère (40 minutes) and begin walk along the shady banks of the Vézère
river before climbing up into the rolling countryside outside of
Sergeac. The walk takes about 4 hours and will bring us back to St Léon
for lunch in one of its charming bistros. This afternoon you have the
option to canoe down the gentle Vézère
to Les Eyzies or to do another short loop walk. Our hotel for the next
two nights is a converted 18th-century water mill, the Moulin de la Beune. This evening we will
do a tasting of wines from the emerging appellations of Cahors,
Bergerac and Pécharmant before dinner in the hotel's gourmet
restaurant. Overnight Les Eyzies. Hotel, breakfast, and dinner included.
Day 5 - Wednesday: Guided visit of the Font de Gaume this morning at 9:30:
a narrow cave corridor 65 meters long leading to an awe-inspiring
series of over 200 polychromatic paintings of horses, bison, reindeer
and mammoth. The paintings are from the Magdalenian period: 15,000 to
9,000 B.C. The artists used the natural contours of the rock walls to
create effects of perspective and movement. We still do not know if they were meant as art or religious symbolism, as simple sketches of daily life or abstract depictions of an
afterlife. Thought provoking, at the very least!
After the Font de Gaume
we will set out for a lovely walk along the Gorge de l'Enfer. Lunch
will either be a picnic or in a bistrot in the village. Tonight is a
"free night" dinner, so some may choose to dine at the famous
two-star Michelin restaurant Le Centenaire, a short walk from our
hotel. Otherwise, enjoy something light at the local
crêperie or choose from one of the other excellent restaurants in the
village. Overnight Les Eyzies. Hotel & breakfast included. Dinner not included.
Day 6 - Thursday: Morning walk to St. Amand de Coly, a pretty village with the
most impressive fortified abbey in the Dordogne. The church dates from
the first half of the 12th century, and was once attached to an
Augustinian monastery that was completely enclosed by protective walls
and ramparts, traces of which still exist. The abbey was also an
important stopping-point on the pilgrimage route to
Santiago di Compostela, now classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. The village also has an traditional coppersmith
who makes beautiful pots, plates and other objects. After our walk
we have a short van shuttle to the walled Château
de Losse for a picnic before an optional visit of this impressive
castle. The visit is interesting because the castle has many of its
original furnishings. Our day ends in the charming village of Montignac
where we will stay at the Hotel La Roseraie, a delightful small hotel
located in a beautifully restored 18th-century hotel. The rooms are
decorated in French country style (what a surprise!) and the large
walled garden is the perfect place to enjoy a cool drink
after a day of walking. You can even have a dip in the pool. A la carte
dining in the hotel dining room. Hotel, breakfast, and dinner included.
Day 7 - Friday: We have a short transfer to Carlux and then a walk to Sainte Nathalène,
passing several small villages and hamlets along the way. Eventually we
reach a beautiful 16th-century walnut mill, the Moulin de la Tour. It is still in operation after 400 years, extracting oil from walnuts and hazelnuts.
Afterwards we carry on to our picnic spot overlooking the Château
d'Erignac. For those interested, you can visit the fabulous rose
gardens of the castle, considered to be one of the most beautiful
gardens in France. Afterwards we drop down to the nearby medieval
town of Sarlat. Sarlat is famous throughout France as one of the
country's most beautiful towns, and in the 1960s it received special government funds
to restore its historic town center. You will have free time in the
afternoon to explore Sarlat before returning to Montignac. Final night
dinner at La Roseraie. Hotel, breakfast, and dinner included.
Day 8 - Saturday: After breakfast, we transfer to the Brive la Gaillarde train station for rail connections to Paris and beyond. Breakfast included.
See all of our tours by DESTINATION & ACTIVITY
See all of our tours by date: TOUR CALENDAR 2009
The walks in the Dordogne contain moderate hills over some uneven terrain. We usually walk between 3-5 hours a day, divided between morning and afternoon. We have designed the trip so that
there is always some free
time in the late afternoon so you can relax, read, or explore the towns we stay in.
Breakfast is included every day, and dinners reflect the excellent
traditional food of the region. Daily distance between 8 and 14 kms.
Useful Links -
Dordogne & Périgord tourism: general information on the region, with lots of photos and links.
Hundred Years' War: interesting Wikipedia site on this interminable war, involving the infamous Joan of Arc.
Prehistoric Cave Paintings: nice site; only in French but good photos of the caves
Getting to know Cro-Magnon Man: accessible BBC site tracing the evolution of man
UNESCO World Heritage Sites: look at all the fabulous things to see in France!
General Information
Qualifications: This trip is rated easy to moderate. Some prior hiking experience is beneficial but anyone in good
physical condition will have no problems with the walks. We walk between 10-16 km a day (6-10 miles), more or
less equally divided between morning and afternoon.
Trip Cost Includes: All Accommodations (7 nights total); 7 breakfasts and 5 dinners; bilingual guide or guides; all van and luggage transfers from pick-up in Périgueux on Day 2 to drop-off at Brive La Gaillarde train station on Day 8; guided visits as per th personal nature. Getting there (this will redirect you to our "Getting to the Trip" page)Booking: e-mail us to receive a booking contract (or use the "Reservation" page).
Insurance: We highly recommend the purchase of Trip
Insurance. We recommend "Travel Guard" to our American clients, just click on the logo below, while Canadian residents can click here. Australian, New Zealander, and British travelers, please consult your insurance brokers.
We
look forward to having you join us for the trip of a lifetime! |
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