PERIGORD
© Copyright 2011. French Moments
Our ‘French Moments’ pages on Périgord:
The Dordogne Valley - the “Valley of the 6 castles” in Périgord Noir features some world famous towns and castles: Domme, La Roque-Gageac, Castelnaud, Beynac...
No major cities, a forest-covered province, PERIGORD is probably one of the most popular regions of France for Australian visitors. This green and rural land might be perceived as peaceful to many, however there is still evidence of the medieval times when war was raging between the English and the French.
According to local brochures, Périgord has “1,001 fortified castles”, which now contribute to the wonderful heritage of the region. The most famous of them are Beynac Castle, Bourdeilles Castle, Castelnaud Castle, Hautefort Castle, Losse Castle, Montfort Castle, Puyguilhem Castle or Puymartin Castle.
Today, the Dordogne département is the third largest in France and is part of the administrative region of Aquitaine. With 45% of its territory covered with forests, it is the third most forested département of France. Apart from Périgueux and Bergerac, no town has more than 20,000 inhabitants and the département’s total population accounts for about 400,000. It is estimated that approximately 20,000 Brits reside in Périgord.
Although the Dordogne département has replaced (by name only) the historic province since 1790, it is still very common to refer to it as Périgord nowadays. There are in fact now 4 Périgords that are extensively used by tourist boards: Périgord Blanc (white), Périgord Vert (green), Périgord Noir (black) and Périgord Pourpre (purple).
Périgord Vert is located to the north of the Dordogne département with Nontron as its headcity. It takes its name from the verdant meadows and forests covering its rounded hills.
At the centre of the département stretches Périgord Blanc, the white colour refer to the limestone plateaux that can be found along the valley of the Isle River. It also includes Périgueux, the administration headcity of the Dordogne département.
To the South-East, Périgord Noir is the most famous and most visited of all four, and features first-ranking touristic destinations such as Sarlat-la-Canéda and the Dordogne Valley. It owes its black colour to the dark woods of oak and pine trees.
Périgord Pourpre, organised around the city of Bergerac, is a recent addition to the coloured Périgords from 1970 for touristic purposes. It is as purple as the heavy wine grapes that makes its vineyards the second largest in Aquitaine.
There are 9 villages listed as “one of the most beautiful villages of France” out of 148 in the country: Belvès, Beynac-et-Cazenac, Domme, Limeuil, Monpazier, La Roque-Gageac, Saint-Amand-de-Coly, Saint-Jean-de-Côle, and Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère.
The history of Périgord is made up of long periods of wars and conflicts. The Barbarian Invasions (4-5th centuries) and the Vikings incursions (9-10th centuries) gave way to the Albigensian Crusade (13th century). One century later, Périgord became one of the main stages for fights during the Hundred Years’ War (1337-1453) opposing the Kingdom of France to England. During this troubled period, the Dordogne River happened to be the border between the two enemies, hence the construction of many fortified castles facing and watching each other. Most of these castles are still standing nowadays and some of them have become major touristic sites, such as Castelnaud-la-Chapelle.
Castle of Puyguilhem © B. Rayner, French Moments
Périgord is also known for the quality of its gastronomy and one cannot talk about the region without mentioning its cuisine! The production of foie gras from ducks and geese in Périgord is so important that it has become part of the local gastronomic culture. Of the 18,000 tonnes of foie-gras produced in the world, 90% of them originate from France and half of them in Aquitaine.
Another hit, the Périgord truffle, has gained a world-wide recognition as well as local mushrooms, walnuts, and the wines of Bergerac and Monbazillac.
Périgord Vert © B. Rayner, French Moments
Hautefort Castle © B. Rayner, French Moments
Geese in Périgord © B. Rayner, French Moments
Sarlat-la-Canéda - the medieval little headcity of Périgord Noir is one of France’s most visited sites which will take you back into past.
La Roque-Gageac - one of France’s most beautiful villages built against a towering limestone cliff.
Domme - the bastide town in Périgord Noir offers spectacular views over the Dordogne Valley.
Castelnaud-la-Chapelle - the village of Castelnaud is famous for its medieval castle.
Beynac-et-Cazenac - the impregnable fortress towers over the village of Beynac.
Marqueyssac Gardens - the beautiful and charming gardens of Marqueyssac between Beynac and La Roque-Gageac.
Visit Périgord Noir
Aquitaine Regional Tourism Committee:
http://www.tourisme-aquitaine.fr/
Périgord Tourist Guide:
http://www.dordogne-perigord-tourisme.fr/
Périgord Noir Tourist Guide:
Tourist information Centre of Sarlat-la-Canéda:
http://www.sarlat-tourisme.com/
Les Jardins du Manoir d’Eyrignac: Jardins français en Dordogne
Gardens of Eyrignac - the estate in Périgord Noir is listed as one of France’s most beautiful formal gardens.