Dordogne and Lot & Garonne
The departments of
Dordogne
- capital Périgueux -
and Lot
& Garonne
- capital Agen - stretch from the low-lying Atlantic coastal
plain to the
foothills of the Massif Central on the borders with the Limousin
region. The area has long been popular with visitors from Britain,
Holland and other parts of Europe, as well as Parisians, many of whom
have retired to this part of rural France and renovated old country
cottages as gites.
In much of the region,
traditional houses are built in the local honey-coloured limestone.
Dordogne is also celebrated for its beautiful villages, historic towns
like
Sarlat,
castles and
also prehistoric sites including the world-famous
Lascaux
caves.
The Lot valley, between Villeneuve sur Lot and Espalion, is
one
of the prettiest valleys in France.
For the French, Dordogne - more commonly known as
Périgord
- is best known for its famous cuisine, and regional
specialities
such as paté de foie gras and truffles, walnut oil are known
throughout
France and well beyond. Lot et Garonne is famous for its fruit and
vergetables, including Agen prunes and Marmande tomatoes.
Getting to the the Dordogne
area:
Driving times
7 to 12 hours from Calais or Lille under normal driving
conditions.
Best
access routes from UK, Belgium or Holland:
Western channel crossings to Roscoff, Cherbourg or Caen. From Calais,
motorway via Rouen,Orleans, A71 and A20. See
Driving in France
Fly to the Dordogne
Regional airports: Brive
la Gaillarde, Bergerac, Rodez , Bordeaux, Limoges.
Airlines
serving
this region:
Jet2
Easyjet
Ryanair
Regional
information:
Dordogne
area guide - all the Dordogne valley area