Today, Europe 1 takes you to Périgord! This historic region, crossed by the Dordogne, should attract, this summer perhaps even more than the others, many French tourists. Some booking platforms are experiencing peaks of + 200% for this summer season which begins. But what to visit in the region? In the program Et si on partait , Monday on Europe 1, our columnist Jean-Bernard Carillet offers you a short tailor-made itinerary.
Where to start your visit to Périgord and Dordogne?
"We start with La Roque-Gageac: imagine the setting, large cliffs, a village which extends at the foot of this cliff and houses with water roofs which are half embedded in these cliffs. resisted the temptation to take a stroll along the river, on the Dordogne. This allows you to appreciate the riches of this valley from a different angle. There is a choice between gabarre trips (traditional flat-bottomed boats ) and canoe trips. I recommend canoeing, a more fun approach: you go at your own pace, you can stop for a picnic, in a bucolic setting.
After the Dordogne along the water, what is the second step?
A dive into prehistory: Aux Eyzies-de-Tayac. Les Eyzies de Tayac is less crowded, more intimate than the prehistoric site of Lascaux, which is 25 km to the north. Then, you can admire the authentic cave paintings at the Font-de-Gaume Cave, a magnificent cave decorated with polychrome paintings. Many emotions in the face of these 200 drawn or engraved figurations which represent animals (horses, reindeer, mammoths), left by our ancestors in the artistic sense already asserted 17,000 years ago. Real Picasso before time! I particularly liked the representations of bison, huge, stylized. I came out of there a little struck, it's very touching.
What can we do to usefully extend the visit to the museum?
We can start the visit with the Interpretation Center of Prehistory. A modern museum, super well done, interactive, with lots of entertainment (films on a giant screen, 3D models with touch screens, information terminals). I found myself immersed in the atmosphere of our origins. I really felt like I was at the time of Cro-Magnon's men.
Are there also castles in Périgord?
This is not what is missing. The one I prefer is the Beynac-et-Cazenac castle, from the 12th century. Magnificent setting: it is built on a limestone plateau which dominates the entire Dordogne valley. The must to visit it is a balloon ride. Take the height: I really lived an unforgettable experience, that of floating as in weightlessness above the hilly landscapes of the Dordogne, by contemplating these majestic castles and all the architectural treasures of the valley. The balloonist goes up and down, sometimes very low, panoramic, on these fairytale castles.
Seen from above, enveloped by the silence but also the smells of rivers from the Dordogne which rise, the spectacle is sublime. An experience not to be missed, for which prices range between 100 and 150 euros.
What if we want to go green in a secret corner in Dordogne?
If you want to take a breath of fresh air, I recommend going for a walk in the gorges of Auvezère, in the eastern part of Périgord. Bucolic atmosphere. Sector not very well known, this is a real little enchanted valley, very green, steep, in which one expects to see sprites and trolls appear. The easiest way is to follow the course of the river, the Auvezère therefore, and to enjoy nature. In the middle of summer you can even cool off in the stream, have a picnic break under the abundant vegetation, enjoying the scents. "