Where to stay in the Dordogne and Lot

Why go

There is a reason the Dordogne has been a favourite with visitors for generations. The river winds past cliffs and castles, the villages are built of warm, honey coloured stone, and the landscape of walnut orchards, oak woods and rolling farmland feels unhurried in the best way. Add outstanding food and a calendar full of village markets, and you have a region made for a week or two in a rented house.

The area around Souillac is especially handy. It sits where the Dordogne leaves the Lot department and heads towards the Périgord, so Sarlat, Rocamadour and a long list of castles are all a pleasant drive away. Holiday cottages here tend to come with gardens, terraces and often a pool, which is exactly what you want after a morning of sightseeing.

Towns and villages

Sarlat-la-Canéda is the star of the Périgord Noir, a beautifully preserved medieval town of narrow lanes, towers and tall stone houses, with lively market days that fill the old streets. Souillac is a relaxed riverside town with a remarkable abbey church topped with Romanesque domes and a quirky museum of automata, and it makes a practical, friendly base.

Rocamadour is the showstopper. This pilgrimage village clings to a limestone cliff above a canyon, with chapels and stairways stacked one above the other and a castle crowning the top. Nearby, Domme, La Roque-Gageac and the castles of Beynac and Castelnaud look out over the Dordogne from their clifftops, and each is worth a visit in its own right.

Things to do

Canoeing on the Dordogne is a classic, drifting beneath cliffs and castles at your own pace. On land, wander the markets, climb up to a bastide village for the view and explore the caves of the region. The Gouffre de Padirac, where a boat carries you along an underground river, is a favourite with families, and the replica of the Lascaux cave near Montignac brings prehistoric painting vividly to life.

Walkers and cyclists are well served by quiet lanes and riverside paths, and there is no shortage of châteaux and gardens when you want something gentler. Many hosts keep a folder of their own favourite walks, swimming spots and picnic places, so do ask when you book.

Food and drink

This is one of France’s great food regions. Look for duck confit, foie gras, walnuts and walnut oil, strawberries in early summer, and truffles in winter. Around Rocamadour, the small, soft goat’s cheese called Cabécou is a must, best eaten with a little local honey or a handful of walnuts.

The wines are as varied as the landscape. Cahors brings dark, structured reds from the Lot, while Bergerac and sweet Monbazillac come from the Dordogne side. Buy from a producer on the way home and you will keep the holiday going a little longer.

Getting there

Brive-Vallée de la Dordogne and Bergerac are the closest airports, with Limoges, Toulouse-Blagnac and Bordeaux-Mérignac also within reach by road. By train, main line services on the Paris to Toulouse route call at Brive-la-Gaillarde, Souillac and Gourdon, and high speed trains reach Bordeaux Saint-Jean and Toulouse Matabiau, where you can change for regional services or collect a hire car. A car is the easiest way to enjoy the villages and viewpoints at your own pace.

When to go

July and August are warm and lively, ideal for river days and long evenings on the terrace, but the best known sites are at their busiest. May, June and September are a lovely balance of good weather and space to breathe, and autumn brings the walnut harvest and golden light. Winter is quiet, with truffle markets and cosy evenings by the fire for those who like to travel off season.