“This is a day that celebrates the Occitan roots of our people and is a good way for those who are new to the region to understand our culture,” he says. Now Bonnefon, a member of the festival organizing committee in the village of St.-Cyprien, is showing me what I’ve been missing all this time. Over the years, I’d heard about La Félibrée, seen the floral remnants of this annual fete dangling over villages, but never attended. “In Périgord, we are very attached to our country and our differences, but at the same time we are a true land of welcome,” says Jean Bonnefon, a dedicated Occitanist. The heat is relentless, and the sun beats on white bonnets and crimson bandanna-like scarves, emblazoned with a yellow heraldic cross and one word: “Périgord.” A group of women in long skirts, lace-collared blouses, and bonnets hook arms and circle, square-dance style, with men dressed head to toe in black, including hats that could be distant cousins of the Stetson. Beneath a sapphire sky and rows of hanging paper-flower garlands, schoolchildren fidget before the cameras of their doting parents. “It is necessary to go in order to realize how lucky we are to live in this paradise,” he tells me. His sons have moved to larger cities for work since I last saw him, but he’s confident that they will return. Although it sounds very cosmopolitan, Manouvrier calls himself an old dinosaur of the Périgord (I remind him we are the same age), whose roots run as deep in the fertile soil as those of the oak trees that produce its treasured black truffles. He includes them in some of his ice cream but mostly ships them to pastry chefs and restaurants around the world. His latest obsession is crystallized roses, violets, jasmine, and other flowers, which he preserves via a patented process that maintains their organoleptic and aesthetic properties. I find him in his factory on the outskirts of the already outskirty village of St.-Geniès, where he makes his unusual flavors of ice cream with local ingredients (goat cheese, foie gras, chestnut). He’s corrected my French so many times that I call him mon prof, my teacher. My go-to guy for Périgord and language questions is Roland Manouvrier, an artisanal ice-cream maker, whom I first met in 2006. Like many affairs, mine began with words. The Esplanade du Belvédère, which offers sweeping views over the valley, is the best spot to take in the scenery.Please be respectful of copyright. The fortified medieval village of Domme is one of the most beautiful in France, and it boasts impressive 13th-century ramparts along with spectacular countryside views. The vineyards were first planted by the Romans roughly 2,000 years ago and continue to thrive in the sun-soaked hills today. Most famous for producing some of the finest wines in the Bordeaux region, the town remains a popular base on the Dordogne’s wine route. Guarded by no fewer than seven imposing medieval gates, the UNESCO–listed town of Saint-Émilion features Romanesque churches and ancient ruins hidden along its narrow, cobbled streets. Some tours combine these caves with the National Prehistory Museum in Les Eyzies de Tayac and the UNESCO-listed Rouffignac Cave. ![]() Believed to have been painted over many generations, the images depict hunting scenes from daily life at the time. No visit is complete without heading up to the 14th-century hilltop castle to gaze out over the landscape below.Ī UNESCO World Heritage Site, the prehistoric caves at Lascaux are home to primitive drawings of animals dating back to the Upper Paleolithic era, about 50,000 years ago. ![]() ![]() Visitors come for the maze of cliffside chapels and spectacular scenery in equal measure, and highlights-that can be enjoyed via a guided tour-include the sacred Notre Dame Chapel and sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Nestled in a gorge overlooking the Dordogne River, Rocamadour has been a popular pilgrimage site for centuries. Take a walk along the Rue de la République, then use Sarlat as a base for other destinations in the region. With more than 250 buildings dating back to the 15th and 16th centuries, the town’s sense of history is strong. The medieval town of Sarlat in the Périgord region draws many visitors, especially in summer. ![]() Here are a few ways to make the most of your time in the Dordogne River Valley. Charming towns dotted with medieval architecture, dramatic French countryside scenery, fertile vineyards, and rich culture: the Dordogne region is an alluring corner of rural France.
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