The Historic Dordogne

Rendezvous at the rail-station at Souillac for the drive to Les Eyzies-de-Tayac, where Cro-Magnon Man was discovered in 1868. An aperitif in the hotel garden precedes an Introductory Talk and Welcome Dinner prepared by renowned chef, Pascal Lombard.

We continue to walk in the area, keeping our sights on the impressive rock formations, until we reach a local restaurant built into the rock and looking out over the river for our lunch. In the afternoon, a walk through the village and beyond takes us round the famous Grottes de Font-de-Gaume, where we wonder at the cave-paintings and, if time allows, visit the museum. Dating from the Magdalénien period, it is estimated that the images date from 17,000 years ago. They feature depictions of animals (bison, mammoths and horses) painted in browns, blacks and earth colours, of compounds made from rock and pastes. At the end of the afternoon, we return to our hotel with time for a swim before we enjoy another culinary treat from Chef Pascal.

Our journey this morning begins by the Dordogne River and leads us to Les Milandes, former home of the late, legendary American performer Josephine Baker, Queen of Parisian music-halls during the 1930s. Here we enjoy lunch and a display of falconry. In the afternoon we continue our walk along the sandy river bank to Castelnaud, from where we are transferred to our second hotel in Saint Vincent de Cosse the heart of the Périgord Noir. We have dinner in a restaurant widely-renowned for its cuisine in the nearby, spectacular cliff-side village of Roque Gageac.

We walk from our hotel, weaving through tiny villages and forest paths to Beynac, inhabited since the Bronze Age and dominated by a 13th-century castle and then on to Castelnaud for lunch. We meander along by the river until we come to Domme, one of the best examples of a medieval 'Bastide' town in France, famous for its panoramic view over the Dordogne valley. We dine the hotel's excellent restaurant.
 

We set off from our hotel, intially meandering along the river and then using the winding village paths which take us into the delightful hinterland of unspoiled hamlets, farms and forest via Vitrac to our lunch venue in La Roque Gageac. In the afternoon we explore La Roque Gageac and then climb up to majestic Castelnaud, the largest and best restored of the region's castles. We walk back down to the river and are ferried back to La Roque Gageac in a traditional river boat.  We transfer to our hotel in Sarlat and venture into the town in the evening to a local restaurant in for dinner.

We spend the morning in the medieval town of Sarlat with time to enjoy an expert guided tour. We then have time to make our own discoveries in the town, to shop or simply to relax and marvel at the Renaissance architecture of this meticulously restored 16th Century gem. We lunch by the Chateau of Marquayssac, where the extraordinary box gardens have become nationally famous. These gardens provide a fascinating last leg of our walk and a final opportunity to take in the rich view from the chateau's terrace before returning to our hotel to enjoy our farewell dinner.

In the morning we have time to experience Sarlat's outstanding local market and, after this, The Wayfarers will transfer you to Souillac station.