Just an outline of our walking trip in the Dordogne, done in early July. There are some wonderful books on walking in France though maybe you don't need to get into it all at this point.Īlso, have a look at Melinda Lusmore's website, a wealth of knowledge on the subject & a lovely Australian woman who is happy to answer questions & give guidance:

I believe IGN offers the maps in online form on their website though I prefer paper maps, especially for planning. You may find a source more local to you online. Stanford's in London is a reliable source I've used: Here is a key for all the maps, to locate the ones you need: What you want are the Cartes Randonnée Série Bleue 1:25'000 maps by the IGN (Institut Geographique National), the walker's maps. While doing that would include all the places you want to see, it's a more complicated way to plan and you may find that one of the established GR's will also give you what you want, similar if not exactly the same.Įither way you'll need maps. So it seems it's the second approach that would interest you. There are at least 2 basic ways to plan a long walk, one is to follow an established long-distance path (Grandes Randonnées - GRs), the other which I chose given it was the chateaux that interested me, plot your way on a variety of paths. You'll also hear the term referred to in reference to food, and the cuisine of Périgord, characterized by truffles, foie gras, and other goose and duck products, is world renowned.While I haven't walked in the Dorgogne, I have done 2 long walks in France, the first from chateau to chateau in the Loire, beginning at Chambord, ending in Chinon & the 2nd along the Burgundy Canal which as you can imagine is easier to plan, follow the canal. Périgueux, the administrative center of the Dordogne département, is in the Périgord Blanc. Périgord BlancĪnd the central Périgord Blanc, or White Périgord, is named for the abundance of white limestone in the area. The Périgord Vert, or Green Périgord, is the northwestern part of Périgord, known for its lush green fields and valleys and beautiful gardens. The Périgord Pourpre ( Purple Périgord), so named because of the abundant wine from the area, is centered on Bergerac-et-Cazenac. The Périgord Noir ( Black Périgord) is where most places of touristic interest are, including Sarlat-la-Canéda, the prehistoric caves of Lascaux, the medieval town of Domme, and other towns on the Dordogne and Vézère Rivers. Périgord/the Dordogne is/are also part of the région of France known as Nouvelle-Aquitaine, which also includes Bordeaux.Īnd to make things more complicated, the Périgord has been further divided into four 'colorful' regions: Although the département has been known as the Dordogne for years, many people still use the term Périgord. What we commonly refer to as the Dordogne region is also referred to as Périgord, the historic name of the area-dating back centuries. It can get confusing trying to keep the various régions of France straight, especially when some are known by more than one name.

France map dordogne