Activities
This little corner of south west France is rich with many different activities for the visitor to the Dordogne. From historic medieval towns and chateaux with spectacular gardens, the limestone caves of prehistoric civilisations, to a wide range of sporting activities such as canoeing, fishing, horse riding, clay pigeon shooting, tennis, cycling.
Chateaux
The first Chateaux in the Dordogne were constructed in the 10th Century, at that time they weren't called Chateaux, they were more like small fortresses and were useful as vantage points. One of the earliest and finest examples of these fortresses is La Roc Saint Christophe. From the 14th Century these buildings had courtyards and turrets added to them becoming the traditional style of Chateaux we see today
The nearby Chateau de Castelnaud is a fine example of the familiar, embellished style of Chateau and houses a museum of medieval weaponry. Approximately 40 minutes drive away this Chateau is well worth a visit.
Chateau de Beynac is situated on top of a hill protecting the town of Beynac below. The path to the Chateau is very winding to ward off potential invaders but the view over the surrounding landscape is stunning. Again this is approximately 30 minutes drive away from Les Granges.
Also worth visiting is the 16th Century Chateau de Losse dominating the Vézère valley and only 10 mins from Les Granges. Manoir d'Eyrignac which has been maintained by the same family for several centuries and is renowned for it's beautiful gardens is approximately 30 mins drive.
Gardens
Horticulture in the local area is dominated by three magnificent gardens.
Originally established in the 18th Century, inspired by Italian designs, the gardens at Eyrignac were heavily influenced during the 19th Century by English formal gardens of the time. The result is a fusion of the artistic influences of Italy and the strong geometric shapes and planting patterns of England. This garden was awarded Le Grand Prix des Jardins de France and we would thoroughly recommend a visit
The gardens of Marqueyssac are uniquely positioned on a huge limestone outcrop offering the visitor what is locally known as the most beautiful panorama in the Dordogne. In spending the day at Marqueyssac you can see the rising sun over Castelnaud and Beynac and the sun setting over La Roque-Gageac.
Les Jardins d'Eau is positioned high on a hill, surrounded by woodland, looking down on the village of Turnac below. Based around 3 hectares of mature garden, first planted in 16th Century and mainly consisting of water flora, the gardens include some more exotic plants such as 10 varieties of Lotus from America and Asia. The flowering is carefully staged so that the garden offers interest during most of the year.
The Centre of the Prehistoric World
Egypt has its valley of kings, the valley of the river Vézère is simply the country of mankind. In this valley in the foothills of the Périgord plateau, the archaeological digs go back to ancient history, so to speak. In the caves and grottoes you can gaze on drawings dating back to 35,000 years before our times. However it's the paintings of the Magdalenian era that we find the most fascinating. Bison, mammoth, reindeer, horses, wolves, elks, and rhinoceros, the list is long. At Montignac, the Lascaux grotto, discovered by four young boys, in1940, is now closed to the public but its faithful replica Lascaux II is considered today as the "Sistine Chapel of the pre-historic era". By no means to be missed. At Tursac children will appreciate the Pre-historic Park where the life of Cro-Magnon and Neanderthal man is re-constructed.
Deep valleys and ancient rocks with their limestone caves make up the panorama of the Dordogne. The 50m high chambers of Proumeyssac, known as the Crystal Cathedral is naturally decorated underground with an amazing density and variety of limestone formations, creating a magnificent atmosphere. The Grand Roc cave and caves of Villars, with it's 13km of passageways to explore are no less breathtaking. Famous cave drawings and carvings can be seen at Lascaux II and Cap Blanc. And for the enthusiastic, La Roc Saint Christophe and Roc de Cazelle depict all aspects of the life of prehistoric man - in the same area inhabited over 3000 years ago. All these major attractions are within 30 minutes drive from Les Granges
Lascaux and Lascaux II
The cave of Lascaux is internationally renowned for its prehistoric paintings. These images depict animals, hunting and wars and were used to tell stories important to the people of the time in an almost cartoon-strip manner.
The fragility of the paintings means that the cave at Lascaux has been closed to the public since 1963 in order to protect this unique historic site from changes in humidity, temperature and light levels, harmful to these delicate images. To allow visitors to view the cave paintings, an exact replica of two of the Lascaux galleries has been reproduced just 200m away from the original site and shows the majority of the paintings.
In constructing this exact replica, scientists were able to reinforce their understanding of how these paintings were originally created, using the same types of materials believed to have been used over 19,000 years ago.
In the area around Lascaux there are many other prehistoric sites to visit. Many of them containing ancient paintings, remarkably well preserved.
Le Roque Saint Christophe
Opposite Les Granges (a 5 minute walk away) is the famous Troglodyte village of Le Roque St Christophe, with one of the largest natural limestone terraces in Europe - over 500m long and 80m high. Le Roque was inhabited for over 55,000 years, from the prehistoric era up to the middle ages when over 5,000 people lived on the site. When floodlit at night it provides a stunning backdrop viewed from Les Granges.
Canoeing
For a perfect summers day, take a canoe at nearby Montignac, slowly paddling downstream with the current you will arrive at the delightful village of St Leon sur Vézère. This beautiful village has an ancient church and a fairytale chateau built on the banks of the river itself. After a picnic lunch or perhaps a visit to one of the local restaurants you may continue your journey, with your next stop Le Roc St Christophe - actually opposite Les Granges. Your journey can continue down-stream visiting the little towns and villages on the way for as long as you wish, until you reach the place where you have agreed to rendezvous with the canoe operators to pick you up and return you to Montignac.
Local Markets
Montignac has a wonderful street market twice a week and nearby Rouffignac has a splendid Sunday morning market where you will generally see the local farmers exhibiting their freshly picked vegetables. Plump ducklings, fresh Fois Gras, unbelievable selections of cheese local to the Dordogne - we could go on forever. These markets are a must for anyone interested in food!
Local Restaurants
Why not enjoy our superb local cuisine, served in luxurious surroundings in one of our local hotels or restaurants. La Soleil d'Or in Montignac (pictured left), has a reputation for offering gourmet dishes of the highest standard in very relaxed surroundings.
Aquitaine
The Manor house of Les Granges is situated in the region of Aquitaine. The area is made up of a multitude of interesting towns and villages and an amazing variety of interests are catered for, such as viewing the Stilt walking in Landes, Hunting in the Gironde.
From Fishing in the Arcachon basin to picking peaches on the plains, checking out the cinnamon cake of Bordeaux to the famous Lamb of Pauillac, from the Basque games , to the thermal springs of Dax.
Golden stone characterizes the wine growing areas in and around Bordeaux and Bergerac where a wealth of different Red, White, And Rose wines are produced at some of the world famous chateaux such as St Emillion, Pomerol, Medoc, Monbazillac and hundreds more, Cycling is a very popular pastime here in the Aquitaine, for those who like to take their site seeing slowly. Onwards to the coast where surfing is the name of the game at Biscarosse ,or canoeing on the rivers Vezere , Dordogne , Garonne , and the Gironde , see nature at its best! Or take a flat-bottomed boat Pinasse from Beynac for a more leisurely time.
Then after a hectic day look forward to the evening, and dinner ,in Sarlat endulge yourself! Start with a Pastis, invented in Sarlat !! Then the food, Fois Gras , Confit de Canard, Boudin ( Black Pudding), a good bottle of Pecharmont ending with a Cognac or one of the local liqueurs.
Our part of Aquitaine is The Dordogne the capital of prehistoric man, it is one of the most picturesque départements of France, made famous by the variety and beauty of the landscape through which the river flows. The open rolling countryside changes to wooded cliffs, then to neatly patterned fields of tobacco and maize, then to idyllic pastoral valleys. Picturesque old villages sit perched like eagles' nests on hilltops or set on sunny hillsides.
The land of a thousand chateaux, the Dordogne or Perigord as it was known, is split into four regions named for their natural features. Les Granges is situated in the Noir(black) region so called because of its dense forests. The others are - Vert(green) named for its abundance of spruce trees, Pourpre(purple) named for its vines and wine production and Blanc(white) referring to its natural limestone. Due to its natural beauty and abundance of medieval towns, chateaux and villages, the Perigord Noir is the jewel in the crown of the Dordogne.
The Dordogne River is crowned by castles standing proudly against remarkable backdrops of plunging valleys; most have been carefully restored, with tall mansard roofs and high towers, and are recognised as prime examples of military architecture dating from the 15th and 16th centuries. Beynac, Les Milandes, Bourdeilles, and Bonaguil are just a few of the châteaux which are well worth a visit.
It is in the Dordogne that the famous and delicious truffle is grown and 'hunted' by dogs and pigs whose trained and sensitive snouts detect the faint odour this 'underground mushroom' gives off.
