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What makes a vacation memorable for you?
Discovering picturesque hilltop villages overlooking fertile
river valleys, imposing stone castles, fortresses and churches
built on steep limestone cliffs? Exploring the past--the history
of the earth traced in rock shelters carved out of the limestone
as slow drops of water patiently worked out their shapes;
or the early tracings of prehistoric humans who left paintings
of their world alongside stalagmites and stalagmites? Or do
you prefer to enjoy the present--Saturday market in a small
town, country walks that refresh body and spirit, gourmet
meals prepared with the freshest local products and complemented
with wines from neighboring vineyards? If these are your fantasies,
come with us to the Dordogne. You'll experience first-hand
the rich natural beauty of south-central France, appreciate
its wonderful cuisine, walk through its prehistoric sites,
and learn about its complex history as you visit some of the
hundreds of castles, fortresses and churches that mark its
countryside.
HIGHLIGHTS:
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Prehistoric
cave paintings, including Font-de-Gaume and Lascaux
II, a reproduction of the original Lascaux.
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Enjoying
the animation of colorful village markets in the Dordogne.
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Sarlat,
a town with a wealth of vestiges of the Middle Ages and
the Renaissance, one of the rare sites in France to remain
intact since the 17th century. |
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Rocamadour,
built into near vertical cliffs, and a medieval way station
for pilgrims en route to Compostela. |
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Beynac-et-Cazenac,
a 12th century fortress-castle overlooking the valley
of the Dordogne. |
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Les Milandes,
15th century château once owned by the American singer-dancer
of the 1920s and 30s, Josephine Baker. |
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Gourmet meals
featuring fresh local products: foie gras, poultry, truffles,
chestnuts, wines of Cahors--and more. |
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