Weekend Escapes within the Dordogne | EUROtoday

Jennifer Ladonne suggests two excellent Dordogne weekends, exploring cellars, castles and gastronomy…

There are few locations on the planet which might be as fascinating underground as they’re above, however the Dordogne is considered one of them. It unites France’s UNESCO-listed prehistoric caves with numerous points of interest within the gentle of day: sky-high perched villages, bewitching gardens, romantic châteaux, stunning landscapes and a wealthy gastronomic custom. Add to that standout lodges that are locations unto themselves.

The following itineraries provide the best overview of all of the Dordogne has to supply, and will be combined up in no matter method most accurately fits your pursuits.

GETAWAY I

ROUTE TO HAPPINESS

The final connoisseur’s weekend

This four-day, three-night gourmand escapade follows a route well-known to gastronomes that begins in wine village Saint-Émilion and ends at Château de la Treyne, one of many Dordogne’s – and France’s most enchanting lodges.

DAY 1: FROM BORDEAUX TO SAINT-ÉMILION

At the doorway of the Dordogne, this gem of a village is thought for its picturesque, honey-colored stone buildings and ramparts with magical views over its UNESCO-inscribed vineyards, a medieval church hewn right into a cliffside and charming cobbled streets lined with boutiques, cafés and bars the place you may style the famend reds and native crémant.

Night and dinner: Hôtel de Pavie

Set in three medieval stone buildings, this five-star resort occupies a plum spot on the heights of the village, together with Saint-Émilion’s most spectacular terrace and views. Light-filled interiors combine museum-quality artworks, designer furnishings and views over the village rooftops. The restaurant is a giant draw, with a menu designed by two-star chef Yannick Alléno and spectacularly executed by chef Sébastien Faramond. Dinner begins with an aperitif on the terrace overlooking the village and continues over a number of programs within the stylish eating room.

DAY 2: SAINT-ÉMILION TO TRÉMOLAT

Lunch, wine tasting and antiques at Château de Fayolle

Sample Frank and Ricki Campbell’s award-winning reds, whites and glowing wines at this up to date tasting room, lunch counter and boutique. Visitors are welcome for a stroll or picnic within the grounds and to buy on the antiques retailer at this beautiful Fifteenth-century château surrounded by vineyards, meadows and woods (reserve prematurely for lunch).

Afternoon in Bergerac

Yes, that is the city of Cyrano fame, however the actual draw is the riverside setting, charming medieval half-timber homes and cobbled alleys. If you arrive on a Wednesday or Saturday, the colourful farmers’ market is a bonus.

Cloister of Cadouin

Founded in 1115, Cadouin Abbey, a UNESCO World Heritage website and a stopover on the pilgrimage path to Santiago de Compostela, incorporates a Romanesque church and an beautiful Flamboyant Gothic cloister.

Night and dinner: Le Vieux Logis

This vine-clad manor home within the charming hamlet of Trémolat is among the area’s greatest lodges, beloved for its antiques-filled rooms and up to date facilities. In cool climate, visitors can chill out across the fireplace and in summer time they’ll benefit from the pool and gardens. For eating, Michelin-starred chef Vincent Arnould serves basic up to date French dishes highlighting the regional flavors: truffles, foie gras, and Perigord wines. Be positive to put aside time to walk across the charming village.

DAY 3: TRÉMOLAT TO LACAVE: GARDENS, CELLARS, CASTLES

Morning at Château des Milandes

This stunning château is known for being the longtime house of Josephine Baker. Visitors can find out about her extraordinary life as an actor and dancer and likewise as a adorned spy for the French Resistance. The fort, chapel, gardens and small zoo are must-sees.

Lunch and afternoon on the Jardins de Marqueyssac

These beautiful gardens, perched excessive above the River Dordogne, advantage a minimum of an hour, if not a complete morning, to wander the practically 4 miles of pathways surrounded by greater than 150,000 hand-pruned boxwoods, with breathtaking viewpoints, gardens, rock gardens and an enthralling play space for teenagers. Every Thursday all through July and August the backyard stays open till midnight beneath candlelight.

Sarlat

No journey to the Dordogne is full and not using a go to to the world’s poster baby village. If you may go low season, that is the very best because it’s quieter; if you happen to’re in excessive season, the crowds nonetheless will not handle to tarnish its excessive attraction. Wednesdays and Saturdays are market days, greatest skilled low season.

Night and dinner: Château de la Treyne

From the method to this magical resort perched atop a cliffside overlooking the Dordogne River, you may see why the château, spanning six centuries of structure, is commonly in comparison with a storybook fort. The enchantment is rarely ending: from its elegant grounds harboring a pool, flower and kitchen gardens and miles of beautiful forest trails, to its splendid interiors and Michelin-starred restaurant, it is a jewel within the Dordogne. A phrase to the clever: get there at check-in time in order to not waste a minute of your time right here.

DAY 4: ROCAMADOUR & SURROUNDS

If time permits, the perched village of Rocamadour, the extraordinary Gouffre de Padirac considered one of France’s most gorgeous caves with a turquoise-blue underground lake and the lovable -medieval village of Martel are all inside a half-hour drive from the resort.

GETAWAY 2

FROM THE HEIGHTS TO THE UNDERWORLD

Villages, gardens and grottos

DAY 1: Périgueux Market, Cellars Morning and lunch in Périgueux

Try to reach in Périgueux on market day (Wednesdays and Saturdays) when stalls are arrange subsequent to the Cathédrale Saint-Front. The previous city is a picturesque mixture of medieval and Renaissance structure and one of the crucial genuine cities within the Dordogne. The Vesunna Gallo-Roman Museum homes fascinating vestiges of the town’s Roman previous. For espresso or brunch, strive Cacaothé. For lunch, Café Louise available on the market sq. is an effective selection.

Afternoon at Lascaux IV

An absolute must-see when within the Dordogne, this legendary cave is an ideal reproduction of the one found in 1940, which is now closed as a result of its excessive fragility. The 600-plus animal work are breathtaking, and the museum itself, in a hovering trendy constructing with interactive rooms and an amazing boutique, provides to the final splendor.

Night and dinner: Hôtel de Bouilhac

Antiques mingle with up to date touches at this historic Seventeenth-century château in Montignac-Lascaux, 5 minutes from Lascaux IV. Each of its 17 rooms is exclusive, and the sumptuous first-floor deluxe suites embrace large balconies and river views. The indoor pool and spa are nice for unwinding earlier than a gourmand dinner on the glorious Ro. Good restaurant.

DAY 2: FROM MONTIGNAC-LASCAUX TO LES EYZIES

Morning underground

Some of the very best of the 147 prehistoric websites and adorned caves of the Vézère Valley listed by UNESCO World Heritage are clustered right here. Sadly, you will not have time to go to all of them, so select in line with your specific pursuits. If cave drawings are your factor, head to the marvelous Grotte de Rouffignac (nicknamed the Cave of a Hundred Mammoths) or the Grotte de Font-de-Gaume. For stalactites, stalagmites and different crystallized formations, the magical Grotte du Grand Roc and the Gouffre de Proumeyssac, with its blue underground lake, are spectacular.

Lunch on the Eyrignac Gardens

After a morning underground, you may really feel like Orpheus ascending within the peerless Eyrignac Gardens’ 25 acres of exquisitely sculpted bushes, yews and boxwood, French-style flowerbeds and 500 acres of protected woodlands. Dine on wholesome gourmand dishes on the café terrace amongst bushes and flowers. Time allowing, cease on the Château de Puymartin. Owned by the identical household for 5 centuries, this fairytale fort gives a charming journey by means of their historical past – full with a resident ghost – and boasts magnificent views over the countryside.

Night and dinner: Hôtel Le Centenaire

Expect a heat welcome at this gem of a resort set conveniently within the middle of city. Many of the resort’s lately refurbished rooms embrace a terrace or a balcony overlooking the flower backyard, out of doors pool or spacious terrace, and the resort’s bistro and gastronomic eating places are among the many greatest within the Dordogne.

DAY 3: FROM LES EYZIES TO CÉNAC-ET-SAINT-JULIEN

Historic villages

Views apart, the clifftop village of Domme gives a hearty dose of historical past, with fortified partitions and gates courting again to 1280, and graffiti from the Knights Templar, who had been imprisoned within the Porte des Tours from 1306 to 1318 as they awaited trial. Don’t miss Domme’s famend grotto. At La Roque-Gageac, nestled romantically in a cliffside throughout the river from Domme, steep cobblestone paths will let you view the medieval homes or proceed up the mountain for eye-popping views from above the village.

Meanwhile, the medieval Château de Beynac is among the prettiest sights within the Dordogne, atop the superbly preserved city of Beynac.

Night and dinner: Château de Maraval

Two years and a military of craftspeople have reworked this Sixteenth-century château and former nunnery right into a super-chic haven of tranquillity and leisure. fabulously stunning and comfy Besides rooms and beds, the resort gives a hammam, whirlpool spa, a heated out of doors pool and acres of lovely woods and gardens.

DAY 4: MONPAZIER, BIRON AND ITS CHÂTEAU

If you are headed again to Bordeaux, take the time to cease on the villages of Monpazier and Biron. Monpazier, on the tiny Dropt River, is a Plus Beau Village and considered one of France’s best-preserved fortified cities. Three of its authentic six stone gateways are nonetheless intact. The golden stone buildings had been erected in 1284 by England’s King Edward I. Topped by a beautiful château, Biron gives an enthralling glimpse of medieval life.

From France Today Magazine

Lead picture credit score: Day 1 Domaine de Bouilhac