I’m an expert on the Dordogne. Here’s where to stay
London Times Editor, Andrew Eames (Reprint) 2024:
They call the Dordogne, the region of 1,001 châteaux. These are not Loire Valley châteaux, I’m an expert on the Dordogne. Here’s where to stay though. More like fortified farmhouses. They make great places to stay, either as a hotel guest or by renting the whole thing. Many date from the Hundred Years’ War when Britain and France were at loggerheads. Fortunately we are on much better terms these days, as witnessed by the popularity of this southern French region with British visitors. We like it for its climate, which is great swimming pool and outdoor dining weather, without being gaspingly hot for most of the year. We like it too for its gastronomy, particularly its duck dishes, and anything infused with truffles, which are widely found in the forested regions.
And for its vineyards, which start just east of Bergerac and run all the way to Bordeaux. There is an impressive amount of history to be experienced first-hand, particularly its fabulous prehistoric cave paintings at Lascaux (a perfect re-creation cave can be visited, with the original, closed for protection, close by) and its bastide towns such as Monpazier and Domme, fortified and laid out in grid format during the above-mentioned war. And of course there’s the river, with its rafting, kayaking, swimming and all its lazy meandering, winding past castellated villages and Michelin-starred restaurants that stand to attention along its banks.
That river runs across the middle of what’s locally known as Périgord, headquartered in Périgueux in the north. Synonymous with the Dordogne, this region comes in four parts. The north is Périgord vert (green) for its wooded hills, the west Périgord blanc because of the chalk in its fields and its architecture. The southeast is Périgord pourpre (purple for the red wine), and the east Périgord noir (for its profusion of truffles).
https://www.thetimes.com/article/cb7b4fd6-5f42-4a5c-9add-7bddf3891b25
My preferred way to get there is the ferry or tunnel to Calais then drive, but I’ve given options for flying or rail as well. Whichever direction you go, this is a region beribboned with wiggly roads. A place for going nowhere fast, and being seduced by lovely property en route. You won’t be the first, of course: many of the establishments that we have picked out in the selection that follows — from hotels and chambres d’hôtes to villas you can enjoy all to yourself — are lovingly curated by people who have fallen under the spell of the Dordogne. And once you’ve experienced them, there’s a good chance you will too.
#1. Château de Belet, St-Astier - The North Region
Top-end hotel with house part y vibe Top-end hotel with house part y vibe Top-end hotel with house part y vibe Top-end hotel with house party vibe. For anyone driving down from the UK, Belet is perfectly placed for a taste of a top-end château away from summer crowds. Sitting proud in 110 acres overlooking its own little river valley where wild boar roam, this is a spectacular property given a no-expense-spared makeover by the American couple Don and Jennifer Macdonald, , , , who run it as an informal house party, with as much (or as little) interaction as you wish. Interiors are a showroom of top-notch château-phernalia, a post- modern Game of Thrones set, with designer ironmongery and expansive marbled bathrooms with underfloor heating. There’s a pool, and optional Belet experiences such as truJe-hunting. Details Details Details Details B&B doubles from £146, two-night minimum stay (sawdays.co.uk). Fly or take the train to Bergerac.
