#Dordogne france map regions full

Some, like Sarlat and Rocamadour, are so well known that they are overrun with tourists in the height of summer. The charm of the area undoubtedly lies in the landscapes and the dozens of harmonious small towns and villages. Hilltops through the region are marked by splendid fortresses of purely military design, such as Bonaguil, Najac, Biron, Beynac and Castelnaud, which more than compensate for the dearth of luxurious châteaux. The other great artistic legacy of the area is the Romanesque sculpture, most notably adorning the churches at Souillac and Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne, but all modelled on the supreme example of the cloister of St-Pierre in the quiet town of Moissac. And in these caves – especially in the valley of the Vézère around Les Eyzies– is some of the most awe-inspiring prehistoric art to be found anywhere in the world. Where the rivers have cut their way through the limestone, the valleys are walled with overhanging cliffs, riddled with fissures, underground streams and caves. The other characteristic landscape is the causses, the dry scrubby limestone plateaux found between the Lot and Dordogne and the Lot and Aveyron.

But you can travel a long way without seeing a radical shift, except in the uplands of the Plateau de Millevaches, where the rivers plunge into gorges and the woods are beech, chestnut and conifer plantations.

The northerly Limousinis slightly greener and wetter, the south more open and arid.

#Dordogne france map regions full

From Limoges in the province of Limousin in the north to the Garonne valley in the south, the country is gently hilly, full of lush hidden valleys and miles of woodland, mainly oak.