Property Dordogne - Buy, Rent & Stay in Dordogne , France

 

The Dordogne Region

Geography

The department is divided into four distinct areas:

"Le Perigord Vert” or the "Green Perigord”

In the Northeast of Dordogne and named because of its rolling hills, forests and prairies due to the plentiful amount of rain, which amounts to about 1100 mm a year. The capital of this area is Notron and it is more sparsely populated than the rest of the Dordogne. The western part has more hills, making the landscape more interesting and it is particularly picturesque along the rivers Dronne and Auvézère.

“Perigord Blanc” or the "White Perigord"

Named due to the limestone earth layers. The capital is Perigueux, which is also the capital of the whole department of Dordogne. The landscape is varied, going from hilly to flat.

“Perigord Pourple” or the “Purple Perigord”

By the vineyards of the Dordogne valley and named after grape region where the leaves turn purple in the autumn. The capital is Bergerac. The landscape is dominated by vintages and woods. The river Dordogne runs from East to West through the complete region.

“Perigord Noir” or the "Black Perigord"

To the Southeast of the department and named due to its many dark oak forests. This is probably the most popular part of the department for it is here you'll find numerous prehistoric sites, castles and caves. In fact, Europe's most important prehistoric caves are sited here at Lascaux.

This is the place to appreciate some of France's finest medieval architecture and the fantastic geological formations of the Dordogne. The capital is the medieval borough of Sarlat.

The two largest rivers, the Dordogne and the Vezere dominate the area and they converge at Limeuil and continue as the Dordogne.

History

The history of the Dordogne goes back to 25,000 years before Christ. There are many caves with prehistoric drawings such as Lascaux, Rouffignac and Cap Blanc. At that time several species lived that have now died out now such as the mammoth, the prehistoric ox, the wool hairy rhinoceros, the wild horse and the reindeer.

The Gauls and the Romans ruled the area from 59 BC up to 284 AC. From 486 up to the 10th century the Merovians and Charlemagnians.

The area was bitterly contested with many wars between the French and the English from the 11th century up to the 15th century. At that time many bastides and chateaux were built for defence.

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