More Dordogne Valley

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Seeing the prehistoric cave paintings was the primary reason for staying in the Dordogne River Valley. However it is much more than cave art. The countryside is very beautiful and consists of farmland, nut orchards, vineyards, forests, medieval villages and many, many castles, some dating from the 1100's. The river valleys are lined with limestone cliffs, and some of the villages are built right into the cliffs.

The most famous of the caves is Lescaux, but these are closed to the public because of deterioration. The government has created exact copies .for the public to tour. Another cave just outside the village of Les Eyzies-de-Tayac has limited access to the public, and we were able to get tickets for the tour of the cave. Unfotunately, the tour guide only spoke in French, and I missed a lot of the explanation, but it was still a great experience to see them. We then spent time at the Museum of Prehistory which was also fascinating. It is built right into the walls of the cliff at Les Eyzies.

Just a short drive away is the village called La Roque-Gageac, or locally called Le Roc. It is a charming village also built into the cliffs, right on the Dordogne River. We took a short boat ride up the river and saw the lovely scenery with several castles atop the high cliffs.
Words just don't do justice to the beauty of this place, so I'll try to give you a better description with some pictures. Rain is forecast for the next few days, which will give us chance just to relax here at our hotel. Then it's off to Provence on Monday!

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Photos

Le Roc
A medieval building

Dordogne River Valley
One of the many castles along the Dordogne

The Dordogne River
View of the valley from the boat north of Le Roc

Sarlat - Hostellerie Meysset
View from our hotel room. One of the nicest places we've stayed.