Crossing the Black Périgord and the Purple Périgord, the Dordogne River is lined with an unusually high number of important places of interest. The famous Castelnaud castle, a true medieval fortress, the Beynac-et-Cazenac castle, the Milandes castle, the Montfort castle, and the Fénelon castle, are magnificent stopping points along the route. The charming villages of Beynac-et-Cazenac and La Roque-Gageac, with their exceptional riverside settings, are an absolute must. The loops of the Dordogne River – the Trémolat, Montfort and Limeuil meanders – can be observed from viewpoints along the river. There's nothing like a barge trip to discover the Dordogne valley from a different angle!

Overhanging the Dordogne River, these gardens are lovely to walk around: peaceful, scented paths meander through hand-clipped box hedges and offer a magnificent view of the Dordogne valley and the charming village of La Roque-Gageac.

Perched on a cliff, the fortified town of Domme overhangs magnificently the Dordogne valley. Its fortifications, its 17th-century covered market hall, its caves, its promenade running alongside the cliff and its viewpoint offering an exceptional view of the Dordogne valley will enchant the walkers.

Situated at the foot of a cliff along the Dordogne River, the village of La Roque-Gageac offers visitors a network of narrow streets, a troglodyte fort, tropical vegetation and a small church that dominates the valley.

The village of Beynac-et-Cazenac is really photogenic, with its hilltop castle dominating the Dordogne river and its beautiful flower-decked houses. It is a delightful village to walk around! In the summer, the village hosts the Musical Nights of Beynac, a festival offering classical music concerts.

Situated in the heart of the Black Périgord, Sarlat-la-Canéda is an essential place to visit for the architecture fans. Its medieval old town is the perfect place to wander around with its maze of picturesque narrow streets and Gothic and Renaissance mansions, such as the Plamon mansion, the Magnanat mansion, and the Vassal mansion. The Saturday market is particularly lively and should not be missed!

The magnificent formal gardens of Eyrignac manor house are the perfect place to wander around and daydream. Visitors can admire the superb topiary and magnificent rose garden.

Old Tayac Castle in the municipality of Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil, at the heart of the Vézère Valley and near the Lascaux cave, is home to the National Prehistoric Museum in Dordogne, which has one of France's most extensive Palaeolithic collections with over 12,000 exhibits.

In a resolutely contemporary building, you can see all the oldest traces left by humankind: stone tools, art objects, and life-sized reconstructions of prehistoric people and extinct animals, from the first hunter-gatherers living in Aquitaine, circa - 500 000, to the end of the Ice Age, circa - 10 000.

The lower gallery is about the big cultural and environmental changes linked to Homo sapiens and Neanderthal man. The upper gallery is dedicated to their ways of life: gathering, hunting, fishing, raw material processing, habitat, burial, etc.

A specific programme of activities, updated every 6 months, enables the museum to diversify its approach, while also teaming up with big cultural events like the Heritage Days to offer special themed activities.

There are dedicated activities for families, such as tours on the theme of Neanderthal man, or drawing workshops where visitors can "sketch" the museum in real life.

Founded in the 13th century by Edward I of England, the fortified town of Monpazier possesses a magnificent arcaded square and a beautiful wooden covered market hall. The square's houses covered in climbing roses add real charm.

In the municipality of Montignac, at the foot of the Lascaux hill, which contains the original cave whose interior was closed to the public in 1983 for conservation reasons, the International Centre for Cave Art - Lascaux IV presents a complete replica of the decorated cave classified as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

In this latest replica, open to the public since 2016, new techniques are used to showcase this important prehistoric site. Behind the glass doors of a huge, modern, semi-underground building spanning 8,000 m², none of whose walls are straight, originally-shaped rooms welcome visitors for an unusual experience.

The centre uses its preferred medium of digital technology to show off and enhance the cave art. From the heights of the belvedere, equipped with your digital tablet, you can leap back 20,000 years to admire the Vézère Valley and the wildlife of the time. Then in the shelter, take a trip to 1940 and follow the four teenagers who started this fabulous adventure, contemplating their amazing discovery as if you were there yourself.

In the Lascaux Studio (Atelier de Lascaux), discover eight big walls in a huge room, displaying the cave's main works of art. Several scenographic exhibits are on offer: swipe your tablet screen to discover the various works in virtual reality, share the tactile experience of the first humans by using their tools and techniques, become aware of the fragile balance of the cave through an immersive experience, and handle objects from the archaeological excavations carried out in Lascaux.

The Theatre of Cave Art will take you into a series of small rooms where a play in three chronological acts is staged. Topics covered include 19th-century doubts about the authenticity of the decorated caves, the working practices of two famous Prehistory specialists, and the techniques used by contemporary archaeologists.

With your 3D glasses on, in front of two giant screens, continue your journey in the underground realm by watching the film "Lascaux and the World", to admire Lascaux and other decorated caves around the world. Finally, in the Imaginary Gallery, you can explore the ties that have been formed between cave art and contemporary art by admiring images and artworks exhibited on a wall of 90 screens.

At Lascaux IV, you will find a unique experience that will shake up your temporal reference points, combining the mystery of an ancestral art form and the contribution of technology. An in-depth exploration for all ages that puts Lascaux back on the world cave art stage.

The Lascaux Cave, in Montignac, Dordogne, was discovered by chance in 1940 by four teenagers, one of whom had seen his dog slip into a nearby hole. He went after it and inadvertently uncovered one of the most important decorated caves of the Palaeolithic. This incredible cave, known as "the Sistine Chapel of Prehistory", was closed to the public in 1963 for its own protection, then became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1979.

Open to visitors since 1983, Lascaux II, the first replica of the original cave, presents the two most famous galleries: the Hall of Bulls and the Axial Diverticulum, where you can admire 90% of the paintings. The two museum areas tell the fascinating story of human evolution and tools, with recreations of prehistoric Lascaux. Step back in time on the same hill as the original cave, in the authentic natural setting of the Vézère Valley.

Not far from here, the International Centre for Cave Art - Lascaux IV, at the foot of Lascaux hill, is a complete replica of the famous cave. Since 2016, visitors have been invited to step inside the surprising architecture of its huge, semi-underground building, where they can contemplate, understand and really gain a feeling for cave art. New technology offers a unique experience by immersing you in this exceptional world in a very original way. Trained guides, digital tablets, themed rooms, games, and films on a big screen will all help you travel back in time to be immersed in the captivating atmosphere of early humans' underground world!

To complete your visit, Le Thot Park in Thonac offers a chance to discover cave art by exploring various areas on the theme of humans' relationship with animals in Prehistory. Just 9 kilometres from Lascaux, the exhibition area, animal park and various workshops invite you on an unforgettable journey through time and space. You can explore the daily life, gestures and techniques of Cro-Magnon man. The interactive time mirror experience will show you the species that he lived alongside, hunted and painted in his cave galleries, and the animal park offers an educational walk amid the living descendants of animals from that time. Plenty for visitors of all ages to enjoy!

Sacred town and important pilgrimage site, the village of Rocamadour is perched on the side of a limestone cliff and towers majestically over the Alzou canyon. What a wild and unspoiled environment! Famous for its sanctuaries and more especially for its Black Virgin, Rocamadour attracts every year a large number of visitors and pilgrims. Moreover, the village of Rocamadour is the second most visited attraction in France after Mont-Saint-Michel! Having climbed 216 stairs of the main staircase leading to the church square, pilgrims and walkers discover the seven sanctuaries of Rocamadour, among which the Notre-Dame chapel, the Saint-Sauveur basilica and the Saint-Michel chapel. Unmissable, the Notre-Dame chapel or miracles chapel contains a statue of the Black Virgin dating from the 12th century. Near this chapel is Saint-Amadour's tomb. The former popes' palace, whose entrance is also situated on the square, is home to the Sacred Art museum and its collection of religious works from the town. From the top of the medieval village, or to be precise off the ramparts of the ancient fort, the view of all of Rocamadour, the Alzou canyon and the unspoiled landscapes surroundings the Regional Nature Park of the Quercy Limestone Plateaus is amazing.

In Rocamadour, walkers can also admire beautiful mineral concretions, as well as 20,000 year-old cave drawings during the visit of the Cave of Marvels (Grotte des Merveilles).