France by Car - A Delightfully Different Dordogne

Ever wondered where the word gorgeous comes from? If you visit the upper reaches of the dazzling Dordogne Valley you’ll be sure to find the answer. For here, at the heart of France, far from the well-trammelled honey pots of Sarlat, La Roque-Gageac, Souillac and Carennac you will discover an exhilarating mix of ravines, river cliffs, wooded valleys, shimmering lakes, ancient villages and, of course, gorges, that present a scenic splendour second to none. If gorgeous means magnificent, splendid and glorious, then that’s the scenery you will marvel at along the gorges of the Dordogne.

From the hilltop village of Singles in the north, down to picture-perfect Argentat in the south, the gorges of the Dordogne are a delight. And because there is no easy or set route to drive along, the gorges tend to be missed by the crowds. During a recent visit, there were times when I didn’t see another car for an hour. My advice is to spread out the appropriate Michelin map, make a note of the ‘green’ scenic drives and plot yourself a course between as many of the following recommended detours as you can. You will not be disappointed.

NATURE’S HEART

If you like driving along quiet roads that twist and turn through wooded landscapes, plunge into stunning river valleys, pass through timeless villages and deliver you to Nature’s heart, then try some of these breathtaking drives…

The Route des Ajustants, named after the engineers that managed to create a road along the side of the Dordogne gorge between the Triouzoune and Sumène tributaries, unravels its way from the belvédère de Gratte-Bruyère to the pont des Ajustants showing tantalising glimpses of the limpid waters of the Aigle reservoir through the trees. If ever there was a road that lent itself to a classic two-seater roadster, this is it. The pont des Ajustants at the end of the drive is a favourite viewing platform for bird watchers.

A ten-mile drive from the pleasant village of Saint-Martin-la-Méanne to lac de Feyt takes in the barrage du Chastang—along the way are several roadside viewpoints overlooking the Dordogne. The drive finishes with glorious views across the lac de Feyt—a man-made reservoir created by the damming of the river Glane. Sixty years after they were built, these lakes created to control the fickle flow of the Dordogne and to generate electricity, fit their environment so well you would think they had always been there.

Another joyous drive is from the barrage de l’Aigle to Bassignac-le-Haut; the D105 that runs downstream from the mighty Barrage d’Aigle, threads through the riverside village of Aynes and hugs the riverbank as far as the bridge at Spontour. Don’t cross the river, stay on the south bank and take the road to Auriac before winding steeply down to the pont du Chambon. Again, don’t cross the river but head for Bassignac-le-Haut along one of the prettiest roads in France. You may need to stop several times to catch your breath. Then there’s the road from Glény to Argentat. Welcome to the south bank show; this captivating drive along the Dordogne’s southern shore will have you craning your neck in all directions. Turrets poking out from treetops, ancient stone barns with heavy lauze roofs, riverside houses with lush green lawns all vie for attention. Gabares can be seen moored mid-river, canoeists dart along, disturbing kingfishers and forcing fishermen to hurriedly reel in their lines. And at the end of this five-mile stretch you come around a bend to see the medieval splendour of Argentat—pure magic.

The road between Vergnolles and Bassignac-le-Bas is a drive to gladden the heart. Most traffic heading downstream from Argentat takes the pretty road to Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne that meanders along the north bank. There’s a prettier and much quieter route on the south side of the river, if you can find your way on to it. From the hamlet of Vergnolles it passes the ruins of château Combalier, hugging the riverbank all the way to Bassignac-le-Bas. There is an almost compulsory lunch stop—L’Auvergnassou—nearby.

PANORAMA COUNTRY

Wherever you drive in the upper Dordogne you are sure to stumble upon heart-stirring views, for this is panorama country par excellence. The Michelin map for the Dordogne gorges shows dozens of little blue ‘fan’ symbols (viewpoints). In the interests of research I have been to most of them and they were all impressive.

For a good overview of the landscape try the Puy de Manzagol. You will find it on the opposite side of the lac de la Triouzoune from the golf course at Neuvic. It is an awe-inspiring viewpoint with a table d’orientation pointing out the features that can be seen on a fine day—even the distant Puy de Sancy, the volcanic source of the Dordogne.

Another thrilling viewpoint is the site de la Pyramide—although it is quite a hike. From the barrage at Bort-les-Orgues take the D979 then the scenic D127. You’ll see a sign to the Pyramide viewpoint that leads you along an unmade forest road. Eventually you have to park and walk for 15 minutes, much of it uphill, along gravel paths through the forest until you reach the viewpoint perched like an eagle’s nest.

The views are worth it and the walk is a great way to build an appetite.

If that sounds too much like hard work, then follow a different set of signs to Les Orgues. Signposted from the same scenic road out of Bort-les-Orgues, this viewpoint offers similar panoramas to the Pyramide, but with much easier access. There are a few car parking spaces and there’s even an open-air café. Inevitably, it is much busier than the Pyramide.

Another quiet viewpoint is the site du Mont. On the opposite side of the Dordogne from château de Val along the tiny D82 via the hamlet of La Troubade, it is an idyllic picnic spot. The fairytale castle on the opposite bank is worthy of a painting. For me, the best of all the viewpoints and belvederes along the Dordogne gorges is at the upper end of the Route des Ajustants—the belvédère de Gratte-Bruyère. Aptly situated on the green meridian—a line through France created as a Millennium project—it overlooks one of the steepest, most inaccessible sections of the Dordogne, just at its confluence with the Sumène. There are picnic tables and a viewing platform and if it is quiet, you may be lucky enough to see peregrine falcons flying below.

In between the drives and the panoramas you’ll pass through sleepy villages; timeless communities like Bassignac-le-Haut; it’s not hard to imagine a saint being born in this heavenly spot. Saint Étienne went from here to found the Cistercian abbey at Aubazine. During the 16th century the monks of Aubazine presented the parish with an intricately carved Calvary in honour of their founder. The cross shelters under a lauze roof, just in front of the church.

FLASH FLOODS

In the days before the dams and lakes, the Dordogne was an unpredictable river prone to sudden flash floods. Nevertheless, wood was carried downstream on specially built boats. These gabares had to steer around rapids and cope with wild currents.

The gabariers had a risky occupation and many lost their lives. They would wait for the river levels to rise then launch their gabares and head off downstream with wood destined for barrel-making.

As they passed the little village of Glény, the gabariers would salute the tiny church high up on the hillside and pray for safe passage. All that remains of the church today is a truncated apse and bell-tower with some marvellously carved stones strewn around the churchyard.

Another bijou village, with its pretty houses dripping geraniums and straining under the weight of heavy stone-clad roofs, is Chalvignac. This, the very epitome of an upper Dordogne village, was once the home of gabariers, but is now a farming centre. Each August there is a festival at Chalvignac that celebrates the departure of the cattle to the mountain pastures.

The charming village of Auriac has a church and defensive tower dating back to the 13th century. Inside the church is an intricately carved bishops’ crosier. Nearby is the rebuilt doorway of the abbaye de la Valette—a site that was drowned by the creation of the lac du Chastang. Climbing from the barrage du Chastang via several hairpin bends you soon arrive at the attractive village of Saint-Martin-la-Méanne. Noted for its ancient church, parts of which are more than 900 years old, it also boasts a handsome bell-tower in the form of a wall (clocher-mur).

On the place de la Mairie you’ll find Les Voyageurs, a restaurant housed in an old stone building. With its ambience of yesteryear, not to mention the good food and wines, it’s a great lunch stop that you will want to return to again and again.

Although there are no large cities in the upper reaches of the Dordogne, there are some interesting small towns.

Despite the drab stone used to build Mauriac, it is a colourful town. Once a major pilgrimage centre it used to have an enormous monastery. It was razed to the ground in the early 19th century and the stones were used to build the town hall.

The fine Romanesque basilica of Notre-Dame-des-Miracles in Mauriac is a must-see, even if churches are not your thing. It is elegant, simple and large and the carvings at the main doorway and the sculpted font are sublime.

There’s a friendly tourist office in the town centre where they will provide you with free maps and leaflets. A visit to the municipal museum, housed in an old prison, is rewarding.

VOLCANIC ROCK

Orgue is the French word for organ—as in musical instrument—but Bort-les-Orgues has nothing to do with music. Instead, the town’s name is linked to a remarkable geological formation. Massive tubes of volcanic rock form a cliff, at some points 300 feet high, which extend in a line on the outskirts of the town. The whole formation looks just like a long bank of organ pipes. Housed in an ancient tannery at Bort-les-Orgues, the musée de Cuir is dedicated to the process of turning cowhide into everything from shoes to sofas. Much of the old machinery is here and a film show reveals how the tanners’ work was done. The town comes to life on market days—the second and fourth Tuesdays of every month.

Tucked out of the way in a little green backwater, Neuvic is a town that blossoms in the summer when its population increases fivefold thanks to an influx of holidaymakers. The lac de la Triouzoune, a remarkably natural looking man-made lake, is the main attraction. It has been awarded the Papillon Bleu award for its pure waters. Neuvic’s most famous son was Henri Queuille, the town’s mayor from 1912–1941 and from 1945–1965.

His political career peaked when he was Prime Minister of France for three terms. He once famously said, “Politics is the art of postponing decisions until they are no longer relevant.” His former home in Neuvic has been converted into a celebration of the clandestine activities of the local Resistance—well worth a visit.

STRAWBERRY FAIR

Argentat is a gem of a town—all towers, turrets and balconies. This is where the Dordogne leaves behind the rugged gorges and descends more sedately towards the alluvial plain. It was from here that the river became more easily navigable and the prosperity of the town’s merchants is obvious by the fine buildings that line the riverbanks. There are fine houses in the town centre too—seek out place Delmas. But most of all make sure you stroll along the quayside. Argentat’s bijou museum, la maison du Patrimoine, tells the story of two periods of the town’s history. Of particular interest is the section dedicated to river transport.

Heading downstream from Argentat you leave the gorges behind and move ever closer to the well-known sites of the Dordogne valley like Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne. The major draw here is the exquisite church architecture created in the 12th century as an impressive stage on a major pilgrim route. The town is renowned for strawberry growing and there is a fair in May dedicated to strawberries.

Either side of the Dordogne there are some worthwhile detours for those interested in history. Just east of Argentat in a sweep of the river Maronne lie some of the most remarkable ruins in France, the Tours de Merle. Once an impregnable stronghold on the borders of Limousin and Auvergne, the Tours de Merle comprised seven castles grouped together. They were eventually rendered indefensible by the invention of artillery that could send missiles crashing into them from nearby high ground. The ruins are open for visits—an adventure for young and old alike.

Originally built on a rocky spur overlooking the Dordogne, the dam at Bort-les-Orgues gave the château de Val a picture-perfect setting by surrounding it with water. This fairytale castle with its six pepper-pot towers sits on an island when the reservoir is full—access is via a narrow walkway. Inside, there are fine staircases and fireplaces, and each summer the castle hosts an art exhibition.

VALLEY VIEW

Perched above the Sumène valley, you will find the quaint little village of Saignes. As well as some lovely medieval houses, the church of Sainte Croix is remarkable for its sculptures. There used to be a château here and traces of it can still be found, if you can tear yourself away from the view across the valley.

A few miles south of Mauriac there’s an intriguing castle to explore. Château de la Vigne has two massive towers with pepper-pot roofs and a square keep. Inside there are frescoes, tapestries, fine panelling, exquisite furnishings and, bizarrely, a display of thousands of miniature cars. And at Rilhac-Xaintrie south-west of Mauriac, a fine château was built from volcanic slabs on a rocky pinnacle during the 15th century. Much paler sculpted stonework was added later which contrasts superbly with the sinister stone of the original castle. The two towers with their crenellations and machicolations still exude a medieval mood.

LES BARRAGES

Among the most awe-inspiring points of interest along the Dordogne gorges are les barrages (dams). From the mid-1920s a 50-year programme of damming the upper reaches of the Dordogne was set in motion. Some dams were designed to create massive reservoirs, some were to generate electricity and others would control river flow.

The highest in the series of dams and also the largest is the barrage at Bort-les-Orgues—a colossus emerging from the water. Holding back a 14-mile long lake,

the dam is open to the public. Second in the series and the oldest of the large dams along the Dordogne, the Marèges dam is best admired from a belvedere on the D42.

Known locally as the barrage de la Résistance, the Aigle dam was begun in 1938 and thanks to the belligerent efforts of a few brave men it never became operational under German control.

At nearly 100 yards high and 300 yards long with two spectacular ‘ski-jump’ spillways it is a staggering feat of engineering. The lake held back by the Chastang dam is enormous; it is also one of the stretches of the Dordogne inaccessible by road. The dam looks awesome from the nearby belvedere.

Holding back a much smaller lake than its big sisters upstream, the dam at Argentat primarily regulates the flow of the river. It’s thanks to this dam that, as you sit on the quayside at Argentat, you will notice how quietly flows the Dordogne.

Flitting from north bank to south bank and back again, you will encounter several dramatic river crossings—remarkable bridges that deserve to be walked across. For example, between Saint-Merd-de-Lapleau and Auriac the road crosses the Dordogne via the Chambon bridge. Before the valley was flooded there used to be a ford here, but that has long since disappeared below 80 feet of water.

DRAMATIC

There are two superb suspension bridges within a couple of miles of each other upstream from the barrage d’Aigle. Both the pont des Ajustants and the pont de Saint-Projet are dramatic, but the latter has the better views. The bridge took its name from the village that was drowned when the Aigle dam was built.

In former times the Dordogne at Argentat could only be crossed by ferry or wading. When the river was in flood it was impossible to cross. Back in 1569 it took a Protestant army of some 8,000 men more than a week to cross the river. The stone pont de la République, built in 1894, towers over the river and gives pedestrians stunning views of Argentat. The pont de Vernéjoux is a miniature version of the Sydney Harbour bridge spanning the Dordogne between Sérandon and Champagnac on one of the prettiest stretches of the flooded river valley. It was rebuilt after the war as Resistance fighters destroyed the bridge in 1944.

Crossing the Luzège, a Dordogne tributary, the Rochers-Noirs viaduct is a suspension bridge of more than 150 yards that links two sheer cliffs. Originally designed to carry a narrow-gauge railway, it is now reserved for pedestrians. But be warned—if you suffer from vertigo it will be a bridge too far.

As you will almost certainly end up at Argentat, you will be relieved to hear that there are several good eateries in the town. But the quayside overlooking the Dordogne is the perfect location. For inexpensive simple fare, try the Crêperie des Quais, the backdrop from a terrace table is magical.

To wander the byways along the spectacular river gorges is to dip your toes into a different Dordogne—a lesser-known region in the green heart of France. Life here is unhurried, and you’ll find yourself slowing to the rhythm of the river. It’s a region of France just waiting to be discovered and it’s certain you will find it simply gorgeous.

AROUND THE REGION

The source of the Dordogne river is found in the Sancy mountains in Puy-de-Dôme in the Auvergne before it wends its way through lush green valleys in the départements of Cantal, Corrèze and the Lot before reaching its eponymous département and flowing onwards to the ocean. The gorges are simply stunning and there are many ways they can be discovered. The area is perfect for walking, mountain biking and canoeing.

FOOD AND DRINK

The south-west of France is synonymous with goose and duck specialities such as foie gras and confit de canard. Other specialities include cèpe mushrooms, truffles, walnuts and free-range Gascon poultry. From spring, strawberries are abundant in the markets—the Dordogne is France’s second largest strawberry-producing département. Bergerac boasts 13 AOC rated wines covering some 13,000 hectares of vineyards, mostly making red and white wines, with a few rosés.

ATTRACTIONS

Lascaux
Tel: (Fr) 5 53 51 82 60
www.bienvenue-montignac.com
The Vézère Valley is known as the vallée de l’Homme because pre-historic Homo sapiens made their homes in the chalky cliffs there. The original Lascaux cave is no longer open to the public, but a life-size reproduction of the cave and its frescoes (pictured above) has been created nearby.

Golf de Neuvic
Tel: (Fr) 5 55 95 98 89
This compact and technically tricky course has recently been extended to 18 holes.

Château de Hautefort
Tel: (Fr) 5 53 50 51 23
www.chateau-hautefort.com
One of Périgord’s most famous citadels, the château de Hautefort (pictured below) was originally a medieval fortress, built on the site of a Roman camp.

Piste Verte
This former railway track that has been turned into a four-mile stretch of easy walking (or cycling) through beautiful countryside between Ydes and Champagnac. In July and August bikes can be hired from Champagnac railway station.

On the water

Hire a canoe—easily the most up-close and personal way to experience the Dordogne. Canoes and kayaks can be hired at Roche-le-Peyroux. Excursions on traditional gabares are available from Argentat (ask at the tourist office for details) and from the quay at Spontour. And there is an hour-long cruise on board a vedette panoramique from the château de Val.

TOURIST INFORMATION

CDT de la Corrèze
Tel: (Fr) 5 55 29 98 78
www.vacances-en-correze.net

CDT du Cantal
Tel:(Fr) 4 71 63 85 00
www.cdt-cantal.fr

HOW TO GET THERE

By air

Flybe and Ryanair fly to Bordeaux and Bergerac.

By car

A 7hr30 journey from Saint-Malo to Argentat.

WHERE TO STAY AND EAT

Auberge des Charmilles
20, boulevard Saint-Rodolphe-de-Turenne
19120 Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne
Tel: (Fr) 5 55 91 29 29
www.auberge-charmilles.com
A smart but small riverside inn with a good-value restaurant. Rooms from 55€; Menus 18€-43€.

Les Voyageurs
Place de la Mairie
19320 St-Martin-la-Méanne
Tel: (Fr) 5 55 29 11 53
www.hotellesvoyageurs.com
A hotel/restaurant run by six generations of the same family. Rooms from 40€, menus 16€-34€.

Le Sablier du Temps
13 rue Joseph Vachal
19400 Argentat
Tel: (Fr) 5 55 28 94 90
www.sablier-du-temps.com
This fine hotel has 24 rooms priced from 43€ and menus are available from 18€–40€.

Hôtel des Voyagers
Place de la Poste
15200 Mauriac
Tel: (Fr) 4 71 68 01 01
www.auberge-des-voyageurs.com
Old fashioned hotel, rooms from 26€. No-frills restaurant popular with locals. Menus 12€-35€.

Hotel du Lac
La Plage,19160 Neuvic
Tel: (Fr) 5 55 95 81 43
It may look like it was designed by an architect specialising in power stations, but the lakeside setting is stunning. 15 rooms (a little tired, but we’re told they are due for renovation) are from 49€ and menus range between 18€-32€.

L’Auvergnassou
On the D41 near Bassignas-le-Bas
Tel: (Fr) 5 55 28 51 41
Popular with locals with excellent regional cuisine and a good wine list. Menus between 12€-31€.

Au Rendez-vous des Pêcheurs
Near the Pont du Chambon.
8km south of St-Merd-de-Lapleau
Tel: (Fr) 5 55 27 88 39
www.rest-fabry.com
Renowned throughout the region. Rooms from 42€ and menus between 16€-45€.