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Eight full days to explore the Dordogne region

Posted by (Long Beach, Ca, usa) on

I have been researching for a trip for 5 adults and 2 children (9 and 12) in mid-June 2023. We have a gite at La Roque Gageac for ten nights, and plan on renting two cars for the trip. We want to visit Lascaux IV, Font de Gaume, Oradour sur Glane, La Roque St. Christophe, the gardens at Marqueyssac, some small and scenic villages (e.g. Domme and Beynac), a goose farm, local markets, and go canoeing or kayaking on the Dordogne River. I am hoping to find some reenacted medieval battles or historical portrayals( for the young ones, especially), as well as the best castle to visit to impress the children. I have visited the site www.dordogne-perigord-turisme.fr and found almost too much information. You have all been helpful in narrowing down the prehistoric sites to visit, but I appeal to you for help with the castles and scenic villages and historical portrayals/theater, etc.

Also, I would appreciate any hints about how to schedule such activities. I thought a morning activity and an afternoon one would work for most days, as distances seem to be relatively short, and some of the site visits allow for only a 1-2 hour stay (such as Font de Gaume). We would like to have a routine of day trips, and return to the gite most evenings for dinner and a swim.

Any thoughts? The young ones are good travelers, not picky eaters, and are used to roughing it when camping (they live in a small town in the Sierra Nevada, swim in cold mountain streams and lakes, carry their own gear when hiking and camping), so no fussy kid problems. They also have LOTS of curiosity so should get a lot out of this trip. We can eliminate some of the things I mentioned, but the variety of things to see and do in the Dordogne/Perigord region is the main reason I chose it as my grandchildren's first exposure to France. This trip was delayed from 2021 due to Covid, and we are finally going to celebrate our 50th wedding anniversary, as well as adding an 80th birthday celebration!

Thanks for any itinerary suggestions, especially in combining activities and/or switching up types of things in a day.

Posted by
590 posts

Hi Judy, take a look at the Chateau de Bridoire.

We were there with our kids (they were about the same ages) about six years ago. We enjoyed it and they had a good time. There was lots of stuff to do and pretty hands on. And it there things for the adults to enjoy too.

Looking at the webpage, it seems that they have expanded their activities.

The Chateau is close to Bergerac, and it is also close to the Chateau Monbazillac, which the adults might enjoy.

Posted by
2324 posts

Here is an example of a route from La Roque-Gageac (I have been traveling this region for more than thirty years, and sometimes I live there)

It includes castles, villages, scenic routes and stops at farms or small beaches on the banks of the Dordogne river (with the possibility of kayaking)
Lots of things to please parents and young ones:

1/ Turenne and its castle. (classified as one of the Most Beautiful Villages in France)
https://www.chateau-turenne.com/en/

2/ Collonges-la-Rouge. Another one of the Most Beautiful Villages in France (and the first one), a few kilometers after Turenne.
The village is forbidden to motor vehicles, you have to park your car outside the village, parking costs 4€

https://www.visit-dordogne-valley.co.uk/discover/cultural-heritage/villages-to-visit/collonges-la-rouge

3/ Martel. A medieval town with a central market hall known for its truffle sales. Two excellent restaurants around the central hall: Maison Sophie and Le Bistrot des Consuls

https://www.visit-dordogne-valley.co.uk/discover/cultural-heritage/villages-to-visit/martel

There is also a tourist (steam) train but I never took it.
It's a 1 hour round trip: https://trainduhautquercy.info/?lang=en

4/ Then, a few kilometers away you will find the Dordogne at Gluges. You can stop there, there is a beach and kayaking activities.
Otherwise you continue on the D43 road, an impressive and scenic little road that passes between cliffs and the Dordogne river.
The road is quite narrow with bends without visibility and it is advisable to honk to warn that you are there.
But do not worry. If a bus arrives in front there are spaces for parking.

To have an idea see here: https://goo.gl/maps/hTKER6Umy2bU5V8p6

5/ Then find the village of Creysse where the farm "La Campagnoise" is located (follow the signs "La Campagnoise")
https://www.la-campagnoise.fr/

It's a foie gras and all gourmet duck products producer. Past years it was possible to visit the farm but since the protective measures against the avian flu I believe that they have stopped.

There is a shop where you can buy all their products (and others from locals producers and farmers)

In Creysse you can also take a break for a drink or an ice cream.

6/ And finally before returning to La Roque-Gageac, you go to Souillac
https://www.visit-dordogne-valley.co.uk/discover/cultural-heritage/villages-to-visit-in-2018/souillac-sur-dordogne

An abbey, the Museum of the Automata is currently closed for renovation. It may be open next year.

In the absence of an automaton, you can go to the Roques distillery and taste the famous "Vieille Prune de Souillac".
But be careful, the one who tastes does not drive!

https://museedelavieilleprunedistillerielouisroque.site-solocal.com/

You will be about 30 minutes from La Roque-Gageac.

The full itinerary is here:

https://goo.gl/maps/jDZobQbZrRxuKGxu7

Note that in this region the travel times indicated by GPS and other applications like Google Maps are very underestimated.
Count at least 25% more

The "1/" is the longest part (55km), then it will be stages closer to each other

Posted by
28074 posts

I can't help with castles and rural activities, but perhaps a bit of information about Oradour-sur-Glane will be of help. In addition to the ruins of the destroyed town, there is a modern and very good memorial/museum. I think the town will be OK for the children, but I am not sure about the suitability of the museum. I spent nearly two hours there (so much time that I had to rush my trip around the village), and--though I don't remember the details of what is displayed and explained--I think the content must mostly be very sad. This might be a time for the group to split up so some can see the museum in full and others make no more than a quick visit there.

The city of Limoges, which you'll pass on the way to Oradour-sur-Glane, has a very nice historic center; however, it's a fairly large place (pop. over 130,000), so getting into the core and finding a place to park would probably take a bit of time. The city has good decorative-art museums that might be of interest to one or more of your party.

The direct drive to Oradour will take at least 2-1/4 hours, according to ViaMichelin.com. VM offers two relatively fast routes, one through Brive-la-Gaillarde (attractive town with population of about 45,000) and one through Montingnac.

You mentioned markets. The Wednesday market in Sarlat was impressive in size; the Saturday market is larger. I'd try very hard to hit one of those markets. It will be crowded, and I don't know anything about the parking situation.

The market in Brantome is small, and it ends quite early. The town is cute but was dead when I arrived (maybe around 12:30 PM). With cars there will be better options for you, I believe, and Brantome is quite far from La Roque-Gageac.

Posted by
1335 posts

Oh my! Thank you so much for the information and recommendations and references! This is exactly the kind of help I needed. I can see that I will be spending a good bit of time looking at all your recommendations. My last visit to the region was in April 2001, so everything will be as new to me as to the rest of the family. I will post my plans when they are more formed. (By the way, I love using Via Michelin for route planning because they usually give 2-3 options for driving. And I plan on drive times being longer than listed, if only because we like to pull over when possible if something catches our eye.)
I am getting excited by the day. June seems far off, but time will fly!
Merci mille fois a tout!

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