![]() ![]() It’s an independent trip in the sense that I start each day when I want, use the map to navigate my course, and go at the pace I want. These two days of kayaking are part of a week-long trip I am doing with Headwater Holidays here in this region of France. Perhaps I would have found answers for those questions if I had looked hard enough but luckily everything is being taken care of for me. Where would I have organized a kayak? What would I do with my bags? How would I have known the best stretch to paddle down? ![]() I’m not sure I would have thought to have done this if it had just been up to me. I’m pretty sure I spot a squirrel swimming between the banks at one point. Sometimes there are high limestone cliffs on one side of me other times I can spot a majestic chateau high above the trees there are a few places where a bridge crossing the river creates a perfect scene and at other times it’s just the birds and the trees that catch my attention. The points where I place the paddle across my lap and sit back are when there are straight stretches and a decent current. Although the flow is quite fast in places, there are also stretches where I need to paddle consistently to avoid coming to a complete stop. There are no rapids, no whitewater challenges. It’s almost 40 kilometres in total which seems like a good stretch of the river, even if it’s less than ten per cent. I’m spending two days kayaking along the Dordogne – from the town of Meyronne to Groléjac. But the river provides a natural and special way to explore. While this region is popular with tourists, most stay on the land. The name alone evokes a romantic notion of French rustic charm with grand castles and lush nature. I’m on the Dordogne River in the south of France – a waterway of about 500 kilometres that reaches the sea near Bordeaux. But, then again, it’s not that often that I have the opportunity to kayak with scenery like this. Today, locals refer to the areas surrounding the capital of the Dordogne department, Perigueux, using the old name of ‘le Perigord’.At times I wonder if I’m doing more floating than paddling. In the past, the Dordogne region was known as the Périgord. In conclusion, and to put it as simply as possible, these Dordogne villages, towns and cities are found in the Dordogne department and in the Dordogne Valley (which crosses other departments of France). In reality, it’s really just a case of semantics, with a touch of complicated french administration thrown in for good measure, because the whole area around the Dordogne River is beautiful and worth exploring. These distinctions can be very confusing for the Dordogne newcomer, especially when booking accommodation. This is because the Dordogne river and thus the Dordogne Valley pass through that region. ‘Dordogne villages’ are also in, for example, the Occitanie region. But let me go on …ĭepartments are further divided up into arrondissements, cantons and communes … oh and prefectures and subprefectures – but thank goodness we don’t need to delve too far into that!Įach Dordogne village, town or city is a commune but, and this is where the labelling of the ‘Dordogne’ gets tricky, what is called a ‘Dordogne village’ isn’t necessarily a village /commune in the department of Dordogne or even in the Nouvelle Aquitaine region. And it would be if all Dordogne villages were in the Dordogne Department. One of those 12, is the Dordogne Department One of those 13 regions, the one we are mainly interested in, for the sake of this article on villages in the Dordogne, is the Nouvelle- Aquitaine region.Įach region contains a variety of ‘Departments – The Nouvelle- Aquitaine region contains 12 Departments ![]() Since the beginning of 2016, France has been divided into 13 official regions. We were lucky enough to call the Dordogne home for nine months and adapted to village life rather easily in a tiny Dordogne village called Villars, (pronounced Ville -arr). Medieval castles dot the landscape and life moves in time with the leisurely flow of its rivers and streams. The Dordogne conjures up a dreamy image of picturesque rural France, idyllic rustic farmhouses, and creamy stone houses surrounded by rolling green hills. VISITING DORDOGNE VILLAGES … That’s a Wrapĭordogne villages are the quintessential essence of France.DELIGHTFUL DORDOGNE VILLAGES AND TOWNS TO VISIT.QUICK OVERVIEW: BEST VILLAGES IN DORDOGNE. ![]()
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