Organize your stay in Dordogne Perigord: visits, leisure activities, accommodation, gastronomy...

The Dordogne of your vacations is here! Discover our guide to the Périgord: a selection of accommodation, sightseeing, leisure activities, restaurants and much more.

Easter Offers

Discover our Easter offers

Discover the Easter programs organized by Périgord.com members! A family Easter egg hunt! Spend a good time in charming places, eat outside on beautiful terraces and forget the winter cold.

A wide range of Easter packages and events are available, to suit all budgets.

The Dordogne in questions!

 

Discover Périgord by playing our quizzes! Test your knowledge of our beautiful department, its places, traditions, gastronomy, personalities... Learn while you have fun!
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Welcome to Perigord!

Is there a difference between Dordogne and Périgord?

Today, Périgord and Dordogne are synonymous and refer to the same territory. During the French Revolution, the National Assembly decided to create départements to simplify the administrative organization of France. The criteria for department names were geographic or hydrographic, and Périgord was named after its main river: the Dordogne.

Certainly the most beautiful department in France, It comprises four major natural regions: in the center, the Périgord blanc (Périgueux, Ribérac); in the southeast, the Périgord noir (Sarladais); the Périgord vert (Nontronnais) at the foot of the Limousin mountains; and in the southwest, the Périgord pourpre (Bergeracois). The Périgord Blanc is made up of limestone plateaus, cut by rivers (Isle, Auvézère, Loue, Dronne), where the valleys widen. The middle Isle valley forms the backbone of a slightly different region to the south of Périgueux, where maritime pines are making their appearance. The Sarladais region is a land of pechs, round hills topped with chestnut coppice and pine forests; low valleys planted with walnut trees, tobacco fields and orchards. The green Périgord, the Nontronnais, is covered with trees and heathery moors, where the chestnut tree reigns supreme. It's a land of basins and valleys, with fat meadows invading the gentle slopes. Purple Périgord, whose valley widens downstream from Bergerac, is a region of orchards and vineyards.

dordogne perigord tourism map

The terrain began to form as early as the Primary Era, when the Massif Central emerged from the earth's crust. These crystalline rocks are found in the north-east, on the edge of the Limousin region. But the formation of Périgord occurred mainly in the Secondary Era, when the sea invaded Aquitaine, pushing limestone deposits to the foot of the Massif Central. Jurassic limestone gave rise to the causse périgourdin. Later, Jurassic limestone formed the soil of the Périgord Blanc and most of the Périgord Noir. But it was during the Quaternary era that the main rivers (Dordogne, Vézère, Isle, Dronne) appeared and carved out the valleys.

lascaux cave

Visit Dordogne department (here we call it Périgord) is located in the Nouvelle Aquitaine region (but we call it South West), bordered by the ramparts of the Massif Central, the Causses of Quercy, the orchards of Lot et Garonne and the gravelly soil of Gironde, you'll pass through many of France's most beautiful landscapes and villages.

Sacred temple of prehistory where cro magnon inspired by the Vézère valley has expressed all its art. With its 15 UNESCO World Heritage sites, it's part of the history of mankind that awaits you. You'll discover parietal art in the frescoes of the Lascaux cave in Montignac, and in the caves and shelters lining the valley as far as Les Eyzies de Tayac, where the Musée National de Préhistoire and the Pôle International de la Préhistoire remind us that it was here that Cro-Magnon Man was discovered.

A land steeped in history, from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance, where castles bearing witness to past conflicts now imbue the Dordogne valley with a sense of serenity and calm. The troglodytic fortresses of La Roque Saint-Christophe, La Madeleine and Reignac and remarkable castles such as Hautefort, Beynac, Losse, Castelnaud, Commarque... illustrate the region's eventful history.

Welcome to this beautiful country where everything is poetry, or literature that sometimes borders on genius. Etienne La Boétie (a native of Sarlat la canéda, capital of the Black Périgord) or Michel de Montaigne. Périgord knows that its landscapes, its villagesIts products owe everything to a touch of the Creator, a little lighter than elsewhere. A rich natural environment and exceptional architecture, with no fewer than 8 villages classified as France's most beautiful villages.

Château de commarque Dordogne

Even during the summer months, there's still plenty of room for sunsets on the ochre stones atop the limestone cliffs, for afternoons listening to the breeze sing through the leaves of the poplars, for feet in the clear waters of our rivers, and for walks, horse rides or bike rides under the chestnut trees. These moments will tell you, better than anyone else, the story of this multifaceted land.

The Périgord is a sanctuary that has preserved essential values. Here you'll find scents that awaken the most beautiful memories, landscapes that resemble children's dreams, and caves that gave birth to a part of humanity.

Every now and then, it's nice to stock up on the certainties and sweets of this world. Nature cradles you in its valleys, forests and rivers. The fresh air and traditional Périgord gastronomy are a bonus.

From the ponds and forests of the Nontronnais, to the wine roads of the Bergeracois and the paths of the Sarladais: it takes time to discover it all. Perigord.com will help you organize your stay.

And if the heat of summer wearies you, autumn and spring are superb times to slip into the silence of Sarlat's alleyways or between the thick walls of its castles. The seasons stretch out slowly, and from Easter to All Saints' Day, the color palette of the Great Painter up there is reason enough to stop here.

And even winter, so sad at times, takes on the allure of a temple where time seems to stand still, nestled by the fire in a vast Périgord fireplace.

gîte de dordogne

It's impossible to get bored here: there's so much to see, so much to do, so much to taste, the people of Périgord have thought of everything to keep you entertained. You'll find everything you need to enjoy the rivers, forests, roads and paths, rocks and even the air. We invite you to browse our site and plan your vacation in the tourist Périgord.

Dordogne flag

The flag of the Dordogne was chosen at the time of the French Revolution, when the department was created on March 4, 1790. It corresponds to the coat of arms of the Counts of Périgord.

The flag of the Dordogne features 3 lions in profile in gold with claws out, tongues out and a blue crown.

Unlike the Basque, Corsican or Breton flag, which is omnipresent in these regions, the Dordogne flag is not very present in Périgord, but you'll often find it in the castles you visit.