Dordogne Valley – Best villages for a weekend getaway
/Dordogne Valley – Land of Fairytales
La Roque-Gageac - Upper Village
There are no words to describe the beauty of this region. Dare I say it; it has the most beautiful villages I have ever seen. Perfectly placed flower boxes in each window with honey-toned buildings overlooking the winding Dordogne River.
La Roque-Gageac Promenade
The region covers a vast area between Bergerac and Brive, but we picked a small area that was far less populated. We chose to stay at the Domaine du Château de Monrecour, which was just one village over from Beynac-et-Cazenac, where we spent time strolling the quiet cobblestone streets at dusk.
The local hot air balloons launch from the castle grounds, which was quite the site to see at sunset. The hotel offered two heated pools and an incredible backdrop to the gorgeous area.
In my opinion the three best villages to visit in no apparent order are:
Domme, Beynac-et-Cazenac and La Roque-Gageac.
La Roque-Gageac:
We started the first day off roaming around the bustling La Roque-Gageac. This town truly had a lot to offer, there are many viewpoints from all over the village. There are caves high above the town, but at the time of writing they were under renovation. There were more activities and restaurants here than in the other villages we visited later in our trip. You had the choice to take a riverboat, which takes you up stream for a one hour ride with a guided tour. Alternatively, you can also rent a canoe from various vendors along the water and make your way down the river yourself. Some of the streets felt like quiet alleys tucked away in a fairytale.
Beynac-et-Cazenac:
We set off to Beynac-et-Cazenac right as the shops were closing, which no doubt made the experience in the village that much more exciting. We strolled around for nearly an hour getting lost in the streets without a soul in sight. We hiked up towards the Chateau to get some of the views of the hot air balloons launching from our hotel. It was down right magical. The photos alone do this village no justice. You could see numerous Chateaus’ in the distance from the viewpoints in the village.
We finished the evening with one of the best meals I have had in a long time at Hotel-Restaurant du Château. You must try the Foie gras while here; it’s a local favorite and can be found at most restaurants. This village took my breath away, I truly felt as though we were on the set of Beauty and the Beast.
Domme:
We started the morning off on the east end of the Dordogne River into the village of Domme. Domme is set up high on a hill overlooking the winding valley below. The village is well known for its caves “Grotte de Domme”. We opted for ice cream and a stroll along the city’s still remaining fortification walls. Each street offered such breathtaking views. The colors of the doors and shutters in this town by far were the most picturesque.
Happy Traveling,