Published: 08.10.2023
12 days isn't much at all. It would actually take months to see every village, every river, every castle and every cave in this region. And almost every town says that it is one of the most beautiful villages in France.
You can also go hiking because of the many forests (I'm kidding you, this fact is already known :-)), but after 2 tours you had enough, more on that later. You can also travel along the rivers by canoe/kayak. And mountain biking is also listed as a leisure activity. However, my better half wasn't so convinced. However, what he saw on one of his tours, or rather what crossed his path, was a wild boar and that meant the end of my hiking ambitions for me. I went to the pool every morning to get some exercise. For 12 days we stood at a very beautiful campsite on the Verzerre with the promising name Le Paradis. The place deserves this name; it was created with so much love decades ago and is reminiscent of a botanical garden.
Now about the places we visited. Sarlat la Caneda lies in a valley surrounded by wooded hills. The city with its medieval cityscape is the tourist center of the region. The historic old town is worth seeing and you should just let yourself drift through the small, winding streets. You should also plan a visit to the market. This takes place on Wednesday and Saturday mornings on the historic market square. There you can meet the local producers and try their delicious specialties. Above all, foie gras (foie gras), but also very controversial and rightly criticized ethically for reasons of animal welfare. Other regional specialties include truffles and porcini mushrooms.
South of Sarlat, one of the most beautiful bastides in the southwest, Domme, is hidden in the Perigord Noir. Domme, located high on a rock, towers over the Dordogne valley. Here, too, you should let yourself drift through the alleys and stroll along the fortification walls. A detour to the viewing plateau should be planned.
However, the place that excited me the most is Saint Leon just Vezere, not far from the campsite. There everything seemed even more dreamy and frozen in time. Although St. Leon sur Vezere has some very good restaurants and small cafes.
Last but not least, on day 13 of our stay in Perigord, I went to the dentist (it went perfectly and didn't hurt). To do this, we changed our parking space the day before in Montignac, 14 km away, to a motorhome parking space maintained by the municipality. Anyone who visits Montignac actually has a visit to the world-famous caves of Lascsaux, a UNESCO World Heritage site among prehistoric sites, on their to-do list. We also set out to visit them. However, you are only allowed to take photos in the beginning area, which would have been less appealing to us amateur photographers. We preferred to spend the entry fee saved in the evening at the local gastronomy with an excellent meal, a delicious rose and a wonderful view of the Vezere.
They were very beautiful days in the Perigord Noir and there are certainly still so many beautiful villages, valleys, castles and sights to visit. Maybe there will be a reunion at some point.