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- OUT OF PRINT -
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- Product code: 16396
- ISBN: 1858286662,
ISBN13: 9781858286662,
400 pages, paperback
Published by Rough Guides in 2001
, 1st edition Rate this book... Rating: 4.0/5 (1 vote cast) Average rating 4 out of 5  |
Description of The Rough Guide to Dordogne and The Lot - 1st edition |
The ultimate companion to one of France's most alluring regions, covering sights as diverse as prehistoric cave paintings, ancient abbeys, Renaissance chateaux and deep valley gorges.
As well as detailing possible activities in the region, from wine-tasting in the Bordeaux vineyards to canoeing down the Dordogne itself, the book gives comprehensive reviews of the best places to stay, eat and drink, catering to all budgets from riverside campsites to stately chateaux.
There are detailed maps throughout.
Extract from the Introduction:
'History started with a bang in the Dordogne and Lot region. It was here, along its green, secretive valleys, that prehistoric people first started chiselling away at statues of round-hipped fertility figures. It was here, too, that they penetrated deep into the limestone caves to paint the world’s earliest masterpieces of pot-bellied, prancing ponies, mammoths and muscular bison by the light of flickering oil lamps. Later occupants of the area expressed their faith in the Romanesque churches to be found, uncomplicated and enduring, on many a sun-drenched hilltop, and in the array of abbeys, cloisters and towering cathedrals. The legacy of a more bellicose era lies in the medieval fortresses perched on airy pinnacles of rock and in the feudal villages held snug within their ramparts, while an altogether more intimate link with the past is recorded among the ancient farmhouses tucked into the landscape’s folds.
In addition to this richly layered history, the Dordogne and Lot is also endowed with a tremendous variety of scenery, from the dry limestone plateaux of the causses, sliced through with narrow gorges, to the lushly wooded valleys of the Périgord Noir and the Bordeaux vineyards’ serried ranks. Through these landscapes slide the great rivers that unify and define the region: the Dordogne, which flows 500km from the Massif Central west to the Atlantic coast, and its more modest tributary, the Isle; and further south the Lot, writhing across country on its way to join the Garonne, which, along with its tributaries, the Tarn and Aveyron, marks this region’s southern border.
Within this riverine framework each area possesses its own local character, marked by subtle shifts in architectural styles, in the hue of the building stone, the crops grown and in the cuisine. It is a region best savoured at its own unhurried pace; there is always something to catch the eye, some forgotten corner to stumble upon, a market or a village fête, where even today older folk use dialects whose origins date back to Roman times. This isn’t to say the region is undiscovered – indeed, certain of its sights number amongst the most visited in France – but its heartland is still steeped in what the French call the douceur de vivre, the gentle way of life.
The food and wine are the other great inducements to bring you to the region. This is the land of duck and goose, of foie gras and truffles, of succulent lamb, smoky-sweet goats’ cheeses and a rainbow array of fruits and vegetables to be sampled in simple country inns or in elegant dining rooms dedicated to haute cuisine. The choice of wines is no less intoxicating, from rich, ruby Cahors to the velvety sweet whites of Sauternes and Monbazillac; wandering the region’s highways and byways, sampling these and other local offerings, is a pleasure not to be missed.
There is also endless scope for outdoor activities. In summer all the major rivers are flecked with canoes in colourful gaggles, while the Lot is now also open for navigation by houseboats. Walkers and cyclists are well served with a skein of well-marked tracks. Trekking is widely popular, and potholing and rock-climbing are also on offer in certain locations.'
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Contents of The Rough Guide to Dordogne and The Lot - 1st edition |
Introduction
PART ONE: BASICS
Getting there from Britain
Getting there from Ireland
Getting there from North America
Getting there from Australia and New Zealand
Visas and red tape
Costs, money and banks
Health and insurance
Travellers with disabilities
Information and maps
Getting around
Accommodation
Eating and drinking
Communications, Internet and the media
Opening hours, public holidays and festivals
Sports and outdoor activities
The police and trouble
Gay and lesbian issues
Work and study
Directory
PART TWO: THE GUIDE
1. BORDEAUX AND ITS VINEYARDS
Bordeaux
The Médoc
Graves
Sauternes and Barsac
Entre-Deux-Mers
St-Émilion
Travel details
2. PERIGUEUX AND THE NORTH
Périgueux
Brantôme
Bourdeilles
Ribérac
Aubeterre-sur-Dronne
The Double
St-Jean-de-Côle
Hautefort
Brive-la-Gaillarde
Travel details
3. BERGERAC AND AROUND
Bergerac
Monbazillac
Issigeac
Eymet
Allemans-du-Dropt
Duras
Ste-Foy-la-Grande
Castillon-la-Bataille
Lalinde
Beaumont
Cadouin
Travel details
4. SARLAT AND THE PERIGORD NOIR
Sarlat-la-Canéda
The Vézère valley
Les Eyzies-de-Tayac
Le Bugue
St-Léon-sur-Vézère
Montignac
St-Cyprien
Beynac-et-Cazenac
La Roque-Gageac
Domme
Travel details
5. THE UPPER DORDOGNE VALLEY AND ROCAMADOUR
Souillac
Rocamadour
Martel
Carennac
Gouffre de Padirac
Bretenoux
Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne
St-Céré
Travel details
6. THE LOT VALLEY AND AROUND
Cahors
St-Cirq-Lapopie
Cajarc
The Célé valley
Figeac
Assier
Gramat
Gourdon
The Bouriane
Luzech
Puy-l’Évêque
Villeneuve-sur-Lot
Monflanquin
Monpazier
Travel details
7. SOUTH OF THE RIVER LOT
Agen
Nérac
Moissac
Lauzerte
Montauban
The Gorges de l’Aveyron
St-Antonin-Noble-Val
Cordes-sur-Ciel
Najac
Villefranche-de-Rouergue
Travel details
PART THREE: CONTEXTS
History
Books
Language
Glossary
LIST OF MAPS
Dordogne and Lot
Channel ports and routes to Paris
Chapter divisions map
BORDEAUX AND ITS VINEYARDS
Bordeaux
Central Bordeaux
St-Émilion
PÉRIGUEUX AND THE NORTH
Périgueux
Central Périgueux
Brive-la-Gaillarde
BERGERAC AND AROUND
Bergerac
SARLAT AND THE PÉRIGORD NOIR
Sarlat-la-Canéda
The Vézère Valley
THE UPPER DORDOGNE VALLEY
AND ROCAMADOUR
THE LOT VALLEY AND AROUND
CAHORS
Central Cahors
Figeac
Villeneuve-sur-Lot
SOUTH OF THE RIVER LOT
Agen
Mountauban
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