| Dordogne valley | |
 | |
| Information | |
| Country |  France |
|---|---|
| Location | |
 44 ° 50 ′ 38 ″ N 1 ° 32 ′ 17 ″ E | |
| Touristic site | |
The Dordogne valley is a tourist region located north of Quercy, in the north of the department of Lot in the region Midi-Pyrenees. It is a tourism promotion organization corresponding to the perimeter of competence of the Dordogne Valley Tourist Office.
Understand
Dordogne Valley Tourism stretches from East to West along 67 kilometers of river between Sousceyrac and Souillac.
It offers three very different landscape entities: The Valley, the Ségala and the Causse.
The karstic relief of the Causses has given rise to natural phenomena such as the Gouffre de Padirac or the Alzou canyon, on the cliffs of which the Marian city of Rocamadour.
Historically, the Dordogne Valley has been linked to the powerful Viscount of Turenne since the 10th century. In this area of confluence and exchanges, art manifests itself in many ways: Military architecture is represented by the tall silhouettes of the fortresses which dominate the Dordogne Valley such as the castle of Castelnau-Bretenoux or the towers of Saint -Laurent. As for the pleasure castles of Montal and Carennac, they testify to the delicate and refined taste of the Renaissance. Romanesque and Gothic art are illustrated by remarkable monuments such as the Sanctuary of Rocamadour and the priory-deanery of Carennac but also by a multitude of small rural churches. The towns of Martel and Saint-Cere offer fine examples of civil architecture (merchant houses or urban palaces), from the Middle Ages to the end of the 17th century.
Quaint villages, monastic towns, castal towns or bastides, grouping together medieval or Renaissance houses and residences are strung all along the valley.
The Dordogne Valley, Grand Site Midi-Pyrénées, is recognized through numerous local, national and European classifications: Natura 2000, Most Beautiful Villages of France, Country of Art and History, Sensitive Natural Areas, Clunisien Site, Causses du Quercy Regional Natural Park, two "Great Sites" labels for Rocamadour and the Dordogne Valley, Regional Nature Reserve for the Marais de Bonnefont.
Regions
Cities
Dordogne Valley Tourism was born in 2011 from the merger of 7 tourist offices in the north of the Lot department. Elected officials and tourism professionals worked on the creation of this new territory and the establishment of an inter-community tourism office bringing together 8 communities of municipalities, 83 municipalities and representing more than 52,000 inhabitants.
The main towns and villages are (in alphabetical order):
- 1 Autoire –
Classified among the "Most Beautiful Villages of France", its manors have given it the nickname of "Petit Versailles" - 2 Bretenoux – Bastide of the XIIIe century
- 3 Carennac – Classified among the “Most Beautiful Villages of France”, Clunisian Site with XI priorye century.
- 4 Gramat – Merchant town in the heart of the Causse.
- 5 Loubressac – Classified among the “Most Beautiful Villages of France”, houses from the Middle Ages and superb panorama.
- 6 Martel (Hammer) – The “City of 7 Towers”, very beautiful aspects of the Middle Ages, remarkable Saint-Maur church.
- 7 Rocamadour – High place of Christianity since the Middle Ages, classified as a Great Site of the Midi-Pyrenees Region, Rocamadour is a real challenge to balance. The sacred city is clinging to the cliff in a superposition of houses and chapels. The Saint-Sauveur basilica and the Saint-Amadour crypt, classified as World Heritage by UNESCO
, are located at the top of the 216 steps of the Pilgrim's Staircase. The miraculous chapel, built in the hollow of the rock, houses the statue of the Black Madonna, venerated for over a millennium. - 8 Saint-Cere (Sant Seren) – Dominated by the Tours de Saint-Laurent, it is one of the main towns in the Dordogne Valley with many shops and a rich heritage.
- 9 Souillac (Souillac-sur-Dordogne) – Former port where the barges left, magnificent 12th century Sainte-Marie abbeye century.
To see
The Dordogne Valley has one of the largest concentrations of sites in Europe. 20 of the 34 most visited sites in the Lot are located in the region and 11 of them have more than 20,000 visitors per year. The diversity of these sites (historical, artistic, landscaped, fauna, etc.) offers visitors a wide range of tourist attractions. The site of Rocamadour alone accounts for around 1.5 million visitors per year.
Number of entries in 2014 in the main sites of the Dordogne Valley:Source: Lot Tourist Development Agency
- 1 Castelnau Castle - Bretenoux at Prudhomat – 53,000 visitors
- 2 Montal castle in Saint-Jean-Lespinasse – 17,500 visitors
- Jean Lurçat Museum in Saint-Laurent-les-Tours – 6 696 visitors
- 3 Automaton Museum To Souillac – 22 897 visitors
- 4 Caves of Lacave in the basement – 86 591 visitors
- 5 Padirac chasm in Padirac – 445,181 visitors
- 6 Cave of Wonders To Rocamadour
- 7 Cougnac caves in Payrignac
- 8 Almost Caves in Saint-Médard-de-Presque
- 9 Gramat animal park in Gramat – 76 872 visitors
- 10 Reptiland in Martel
- 11 Rock of the Eagles To Rocamadour – 86 438 visitors
- 12 Monkey Forest To Rocamadour – 131 798 visitors
- 13 Haut-Quercy railway from Martel to Saint-Denis-lès-Martel – 79,500 visitors
- 14 Prehisto-Dino Park in the basement
- 15 Cloister of Carennac To Carennac – 10,573 visitors
- 16 Cougnaguet mill in Calès – 3,060 visitors
To go
The Dordogne Valley destination has road accessibility via the A20 but also the A89.
Since July 2010, Brive-Vallée de la Dordogne airport has opened the destination directly to Paris and several international destinations including London in England.
By car
From Paris: A20 - exit N ° 53/54/55
From Toulouse: A20 - exit N ° 56 / N ° 55
From Bordeaux: A89 and A20
From Lyon: A47, A72, A71, A89, A20
By plane
- Brive-Dordogne Valley Airport ,
33 5 55 22 40 00
By train
- Bretenoux-Biars station , 33 5 65 10 31 00
- Gramat station , 33 5 65 38 71 27
- Rocamadour station , 33 5 65 38 71 27
- Saint-Denis-près-Martel station , 33 5 65 32 42 08
- Souillac train station , 33 5 65 32 78 21
Do
The Dordogne Valley offers authentic routes rich in emotions: climbing, caving, golf, balloon rides, on horseback, by bicycle or on foot on 417 kilometers of marked trails.
Its pure and invigorating rivers are an invitation to all kinds of leisure activities: swimming, gentle descents in canoes, rafts or thrilling abseiling in the canyons.
Bordered by beautiful pebble beaches, the Dordogne Valley is also a delight for wild trout fishermen.
For those who dream of living to the rhythm of the beauty and imagination of the Santiago de Compostela routes, the Dordogne Valley is a blessing. Crossed both by the Puy route, the Via Averna and the Via Podensis from Clermont-Ferrand and the Limousin route, the territory sows in the footsteps of treasures of religious architecture, major stops such as Rocamadour, Carennac or Martel.
To buy
Eat
With an internationally renowned gastronomy, four Michelin-starred restaurants and more than 200 restaurants in the region, the tourist region "Dordogne Valley" is a must-see destination for foodies. The local specialties are:
- The black truffle (black Diamond) – A rare and excellent product, it is harvested under the trees of the Causse.
- Goose and fatty duck – Unmissable specialties, to be tasted in many ways, in duck breast, confit, etc.
- Foie gras – An ancestral recipe, goose and duck foie gras is also available in several ways: pan-fried fresh foie gras, semi-cooked, canned with a touch of salt, etc.
- The Périgord walnut – Four varieties having obtained the protected designation of origin (PDO). Rich in fiber and Omega 3, this priceless gift from nature can be eaten fresh or dried in salads or cakes.
- Rocamadour (Rocamadour cabécou) – A small PDO cheese made from goat's milk, it is made from whole raw milk with know-how dating back to XVe century.
- Quercy farm lamb – Raised "under the mother" under the oaks of the plateau of the Causse.
- Quercy melon – Sweet and fragrant at will.
- The golden plum of Carennac – Reine-Claude dorée which is celebrated during the "Fête de la Plune" in Carennac at the start August.
- The wines of Glanes and Amadour – Two small vineyards located in Rocamadour and on the slopes of Glanes.
