The Dordogne And Its Beautiful Monuments
The Dordogne can be a fantastic destination for a holiday in the south of France. It is an inland territory where pleasant surprises await us. We are talking about a destination that will delight lovers of history and art, since a large number of monuments and cultural attractions are discovered in an easy-to-navigate territory. Do you want to know which ones?
The best thing to visit in the Dordogne
Throughout the Dordogne department there are many places to visit. Without a doubt, everyone who knows the area describes it as tremendously beautiful. But, so as not to overwhelm you, here we have chosen the most interesting and varied :
Sarlat, one of the great attractions of the Dorgogne
One of the greatest jewels of the Dordogne is the town of Sarlat. Here a splendid nucleus awaits you that has the qualification of Villa of Art and History. It is a true medieval ensemble.
In addition, it has a wooded environment that further increases its attractiveness. In fact, Sarlat often appears as the natural setting for almost all historical films shot in France.
Lascaux caves
It is another of the great artistic and historical attractions of La Dordogne. Here a magnificent set of cave paintings is hidden. A prehistoric treasure that for many is comparable to the Cantabrian cave of Altamira.
Even its value is so high and the care in its conservation so careful that an exact replica has been made here too. It is about the many tourists who come to know them, but without damaging the original caves painted thousands of years ago.
The Marqueyssac Gardens
Another of the monuments of La Dordogne that give us an idea of the variety of this region are the Marqueyssac gardens. This is a different and charming place. Here, the purpose of the visit is to walk several kilometers among some 150,000 boxwood bushes.
All the bushes have been hand-sculpted by expert gardening hands to generate the most pleasant sensations. Without a doubt, this is one of the most picturesque places that you will discover in the Dordogne.
Castelnaud Castle
Another of the monumental places in the region is the Castelnaud castle. It is a fortress that stands on a rock spur and becomes a privileged viewpoint over the valley.
This is a place of legend that, in addition to preserving its medieval architecture, offers the possibility of contemplating an extraordinary collection of historical weapons. A most entertaining visit for adults and also for the little ones in the family.
Villa de Montcaret, the Roman past of the Dordogne
Now comes the turn of another type of monuments. It is one of the archaeological sites from Roman times of which we have numerous examples in France, such as, for example, in Nimes. And there are also in La Dordogne.
Of the latter, surely the most spectacular is the Gallo-Roman town of Montcaret. It was built between the 1st and 2nd centuries. Today it can be visited in part and, of course, the whole complex draws attention to its thermal area and also its colorful mosaics with marine images.
Cloister of Recollets in Bergerac
Bergerac, famous for the famous Cyrano, is one of the most attractive historical sites in the area. Its entire historic neighborhood deserves a quiet walk. But there is a place that becomes an essential appointment for travelers: the Recollets cloister.
Perigueux Cathedral, another of the jewels of the Dordogne
And we want to end this monumental tour of La Dordogne by visiting another of its great cities, Perigueux. There it rises to the beautiful and very white cathedral dedicated to Saint Frontis. It is a temple that originated in the eleventh century, but which grew over the centuries, although always with an aesthetic harmony worthy of note.
In short, this has been a good finishing touch for this artistic itinerary through a region that always surprises. Now it only remains for you to dare to visit this fabulous French department.