Hello all, I'm looking for a home base in the Dordogne, a village where my husband and I can hang out, relax, walk or hike every day, go to the market, etc. If you are a walker or a hiker and have stayed in the Dordogne, where did you stay and where would you recommend that we stay? What were your favorite hikes? Thanks!
Laura
Posted by
English but living in Melbourne, Australia
432 posts
My previous suggestions on your other thread were for hotel/B&B accommodation, but if you want to self-cater, look at this page for several options in the Dordogne.
Posted by
Coeur d'Alene, Idaho, USA
19 posts
We just finished seven days at a B&B in Castelnaud La Chapelle (about 10 minute drive from Sarlat) in a very tiny medieval village overlooking the castel. We saw only a couple of "signed" trails while we were exploring the Dordogne area but there may be more. Most of the popular, small villages are unbelievably full of crowds of people or are too small to have the services you mentioned. Check out St. Sozy which is in the Lot Department but still on the Dordogne River and less crowded. Castelnaud is also nice with less people. As others mentioned it seems like the Dordogne is more for walking in and around the castles and towns plus the canoeing than actual hiking.
Posted by
L'Occitanie, France
10629 posts
Agree that the Lot is tops. Look at Conques
As I said in your other thread, there are tons of paths everywhere in France. Start with the site of the Grande Randonnée for the long trails, then look on the regional tourism websites, Departmental, and finally commune(town/village). There are local books in print but you often find them only locally or at a Parisian store such as Le Vieux Campeur. Just because a touristic area has everyone climbing the same hill to a chateau, doesn't mean the back country doesn't have good hikes.
Posted by
5 posts
We have spent many holidays in the Dordogne department and enjoyed them so much that we now live here. This is a great area for walking with a tremendous range of off road paths both long and short – some even go all the way to Spain. For walking we prefer the north-east of the department. Here the limestone meets the granite and sandstone giving rise to a variety of contrasting landscapes and building styles that can be witnessed even during a short walk. The gorges of the Auvézere river, for example, are a gem which you will probably have all to yourselves. The area is only mildly ‘touristy’ but most of the more famous tourist sites are within an hour. Villages you could consider staying in are Hautefort or Excideuil. They both have a castle, weekly market, bakers, butchers, grocers, a range of cafés and restaurants and a couple of hotels. There are numerous chamber d’hôtes and houses to rent (from cottages to manoirs/chateaux) in the area.
For walking anywhere in France we suggest that you buy the IGN Carte de Randonnee for the local area – they are brilliant maps for walkers with so much detail. Good luck with your holiday planning.