While the terraces had been inhabited as far back as prehistoric times, the information and reconstructions presented inside focus on the Middle Ages, when people settled here to steer clear of Viking raiders sailing up the river.
#Dordogne valley caves series#
Nearby is La Roque St-Christophe, a series of river-carved terraces, which has provided shelter for 55,000 years. Lascaux's main caverns are more than a football field long, and the hundreds of animal figures (horses, deer, bison, etc.), painted high up on walls and ceilings, are monumental. You'll soon forget you're looking at a replica.ĭescriptions of the caves' impressiveness sound like overstatement until you see them in person. Thankfully, the original caves were closed to the public, and experts perfectly recreated the paintings with the same dyes, tools, and techniques used to make the originals. In just 15 years, the precious art deteriorated more than during the 15,000 previous. Discovered accidentally in 1940 by four kids and their dog, the paintings in the Lascaux caves quickly degenerated, as more than a million people climbed through this prehistoric wonderland. The most famous paintings are at Lascaux. Long before Stonehenge and before the Egyptian pyramids, back when mammoths and saber-toothed cats still roamed the earth, prehistoric people painted deep inside these grottoes. The Dordogne's limestone cliffs - honeycombed with painted caves - are unique on this planet. To step back even farther in time, visit one of the area's prehistoric caves. After some dicey negotiations with military types much stronger than him, the local lord would gather his subjects and declare either, "Now you are French" or "Now you are English…deal with it." From that ledge, I reenacted a goofy little speech, which I imagine happened many times during the Hundred Years' War, fought between the French and English (1337–1453).
The attendant let me unlock a huge plank door that opened up a treacherous little balcony high above the castle grounds. In the knights' mess hall, it felt as if the cooks had just taken a break. The castle was lit by little oil lamps - puddles of light giving the spiral staircase a visual rhythm. It was like stepping back into medieval times. And the noblelady of the castle herself - land rich but, apparently, cash poor - sold me a ticket to enter and prowl around. Pulling my canoe up in Beynac, I hiked up to the brooding, cliff-clinging castle. On one particularly memorable Dordogne day, I enjoyed a perfect storm of travel thrills. Two of the most picturesque are La Roque-Gageac, a strong contender for "cutest town in France," and Beynac, a well-preserved medieval village that winds like a sepia-tone film set from the river to the castle above.
There's always a place to stow the canoe, and plenty of welcoming villages. Delights are revealed around each bend, and you can pop ashore whenever you like. I can't think of a more relaxing way to enjoy great scenery while getting some exercise. When I'm here, one of my rituals is exploring the riverside castles and villages via canoe. Its highlights include villages seemingly carved out of the rock, prehistoric cave paintings, floats along the river, cute farmhouses perched amid fertile fields, and a local cuisine that brings together all that's best about French food. Whether young or old, visitors to the Dordogne are easily charmed by its unforgettable blend of village charm and scenic landscapes. I'd take her for a lazy canoe ride down the river, then cap the day with a great riverside meal - letting her enjoy goose liver (explaining what it was later) with the finest glass of French red wine she's ever had. A reader once asked me: If I were to bring a spry, 73-year-old grandmother to Europe, where would I go? My response: France's Dordogne River Valley.
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