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Vézère & Dordogne Valleys

Timeless beauty east of Bergerac

Known as the ‘Valley of Man’, the Vézère Valley is home to the greatest concentration of prehistoric sites in Europe. Listed by Unesco as a World Heritage Site, it also boasts a huge wealth and variety of natural attractions. Its lower reaches, just before the confluence with the mighty River Dordogne at Limeuil, are ideal for exploration on two wheels, as are the scenic hills between the two rivers. Other highlights are the beautiful hill-top towns, the delicious gastronomy and welcoming French country hotels.

Nights: 7
Grade: 2
Terrain: country lanes across rolling hills and through woodland
Hotels: two 2-star hotels; two 3-star hotels
Meals: breakfast each day and 5 dinners
Climate: the sunny Dordogne enjoys a long, hot summer. Average temperatures in the region range from 18°C in May, to 23°C in June and September, with temperatures averaging 27°C at the height of summer.

Hotel le Fôret, Lalinde

Limeuil, above the River Dordogne

St-Cyprien

Auberge de la Petite Reine, Siorac

Houses of honey-coloured stone

Auberge de la Salvetat

Starting point: Hotel le Fôret (3*), Lalinde. Le Forêt is a charming hotel at the entrance to Lalinde on the road from Bergerac to Sarlat. It has 15 very comfortable rooms, plus a cosy tearoom and a superb terrace shaded by handsome plane trees. You stay on a bed and breakfast basis.

Day 1: take time to explore fortified Lalinde before collecting your bikes and heading east to the Cingle de Trémolat, where you can take in superb views over a huge loop in the River Dordogne from impressive limestone cliffs. The road then descends to the confluence of the Dordogne and Vézère rivers at the honey-coloured hill-top village of Limeuil, whose timeless, cobbled streets hide craft shops and cafés. It is well worth climbing to the top of the village for sweeping views over the valley. Setting off once more, you continue to Le Bugue, a pretty and bustling market town (Tuesday and Saturday are market days), before crossing the River Vézère to arrive at your next hotel. (35km)

Accommodation: Hotel du Château (2*), Campagne. The focal point of this simple hotel is the restaurant, which serves flavoursome regional cuisine. On warm evenings you can dine outside on the large terrace.

Day 2: Today begins with a gentle cycle to Les Eyzies-de-Tayac, home to the National Museum of Prehistory (pay locally; closed Tuesdays) which houses numerous prehistoric artefacts. There are several caves within a few kilometres of Les Eyzies such as the Grotte de Font-de-Gaume, in which dozens of polychrome Stone Age paintings have been discovered, and the Grotte des Combarelles, which boasts 12,000-year-old engravings. If you wish to visit, you will need to book in advance (pay locally). The route then leads southwards and uphill along winding lanes via St-Cyprien, where you can pause to marvel at its golden stone houses which clamber up the hillside to the church on the crest. (25km or 35km)

Accommodation: Auberge de la Petite Reine (2*), Siorac-en-Périgord. This is a family affair, with owner Dominique Duc also heading up the kitchen. The heated outdoor pool and large, attractive gardens are very welcome after a day of cycling.

Day 3: discover the Dordogne Valley by cycling as far as you wish through the quiet, hilly terrain to the east of Siorac-en-Périgord. We highly recommend cycling as far as the fairy-tale châteaux of Les Milandes (owned by the famous dancer Josephine Baker) and Castelnaud (the object of fighting during the crusade against the Cathar heresy), and the alluring village of Beynac. Here, a château boasting astounding views upriver stands on limestone cliffs 200 metres above the Dordogne, guarding a huddle of stone-roofed cottages which cascade down to the water’s edge. (up to 50km)

Accommodation: Auberge de la Petite Reine, as above.

Day 4: leaving Siorac, you cycle southwards to Belvès, encircled by 11th-century ramparts on a promontory above the Nauze Valley. Take time to stroll through the ancient streets, seeking out the castle and its keep, the troglodytic dwellings carved into the castle defences, and the old abbey. Our route then leads west, but you may wish to loop further south to the astonishingly preserved town of Monpazier. Founded in the late 13th century, it is one of France's most complete bastides (fortified, grid-patterned settlements), with a handsome central square and arcaded streets. Its tranquillity belies a turbulent history that includes two brutally repressed peasant uprisings. (15km)

Accommodation: Auberge de la Salvetat (3*), La Salvetat. A wonderful welcome from English owners Ann and Steve Jordan, as well as the locally renowned gastronomic delights of chef Fabien Culine, await you at this charming auberge. The setting amid the wooded hills of the Bessède Forest is very peaceful, and behind the handsome hotel lies a outdoor pool surrounded by sun loungers.

Day 5: today you could visit the 12th-century Cistercian abbey and its splendid Gothic cloister at Cadouin (part of the Unesco World Heritage Site encompassing the pilgrimage trail to Santiago de Compostela), follow our leisurely circuit to the picturesque village of Molieres, or simply relax by the pool. (up to 19km)

Accommodation: Auberge de la Salvetat, as above.

Day 6: the day begins with a marvellous downhill section through the Couze Valley via the medieval village of Montferrand du Périgord. You then climb gently to Beaumont, a good lunch stop, before returning to Lalinde, your starting point.

Accommodation: Hotel Le Fôret, as above.

Recommendations for extra nights: Auberge de la Salvetat and Hotel du Château (Campagne).

Other information: if you would like to see the brochure page, you can download this (and the pages for any other holidays you are interested in) by using our brochure creation system.

Similar holidays: Dordogne Valley (grade 2), Medieval Villages of the South-West (grade 2), Ancient Périgord (grade 2)

Prices & travel 2008:

Recommended destination airports: Bergerac & Bordeaux
Latest flight arrival time: Bergerac flexible; Bordeaux 1430
Earliest flight departure time: Bergerac flexible; Bordeaux 1330
*Connecting travel: return taxi from Bergerac (out/home 0h30) £30pp;
return rail from Bordeaux (out/home 2h30) £20pp
Book your flights through us and we'll find the best route, times and price to suit you
By rail includes: Eurostar/TGV via Paris & Bordeaux (out dep St Pancras 0655/home dep Lalinde 0831)
Self-drive includes: P&O Ferries Dover-Calais
Extra nights can be booked at any hotel
Start: Thu-Mon

Extra night prices 2008

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