Monthly Archives: March 2024

Unesco sites in the Dordogne

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When I still was a traveler and roamed the planet freely, unburdened, and curious, I lived by the backpackers ‘bible’ the Lonely Planet. The funny thing is, when you travel by yourself you might be many things but not one of them is lonely, but that aside. I was the kind of traveler who knew beforehand what was there to see and what places to visit. The UNESCO (World Heritage list) sites were highlighted in my book and high on my list because even when I was traveling like a hobo, my appetite for beauty, architecture, nature, and history never died contrary to my savings in my bank account.

In fact, when I was about to turn 31, I realized that I had never seen much of that beauty in the world; I spent all my time working, went on vacation once a year to a party island, and sometimes visited my sister overseas. What did I want to see before I died? I made a list of those places in the world. I discovered that they were all UNESCO sites, and that’s when I decided to leave everything behind and wanted to travel. And what was said, was done; I quit the job, sold the house, and strapped on a backpack.

I came prepared. I was a traveler like that. I did a Vini Vidi Vici at places. A serious traveler I was, quick, no-nonsense, travel with an open mind, spend time in places where there needs to be time, and sleep at night preferably on a bus so transport and accommodation are one. I visited all the continents with my trusted Lonely Planet guide and ‘ticked off’ many boxes.

On my last big trip, this was going from Ushuaia, Argentina via the South Pole, to South Georgia, Tristan da Cunha, St. Helena (yes, I talk about the place where Napoleon Bonapart was exiled) and more islands, I met a lot of fellow world travelers, people that, mostly had 40 years on me, have seen – so much – of the world. I felt like this was my crowd! There was this one gentleman from Illinois, we call him Donald P. and he was in the top 2 of the most traveled people in the world and with the most visited UNESCO sites on his name. Can you imagine that? A walking Lonely planet with all the intel of the most beautiful places to see in the world. And as an -AI- now, he could tell about all those places including the ones that didn’t survive recent wars.

I had great admiration for Donald and an even greater admiration for World Heritage sites than before. If only people would travel more, to understand each other better and learn how to respect other cultures. Also knowing that people make so much effort to get their ‘Pet project’ on the world stage of preservation and respect. No matter if it’s a natural phenomenon, a temple, a fortification, or a cave. They need to be protected and nurtured for an understanding of man, and safe keep.

On that same trip, in that well-traveled crowd, I met the only other person who was in my age group, fell head over heels, and now call him my husband. We moved to the Dordogne a couple of months later. Apparently, I live and love like I travel: quick, no-nonsense, love with an open mind, spend time in places where there needs to be time.

Setting up our Country Retreat for future guests, we decided to keep the Sundays to ourselves and explore. Not only to tell our guests where to go and what to do but also for ourselves: to appreciate where we landed our lives, the southwest of France is just fascinating and full of Heritage sites.

Two UNESCO sites are in our backyard (8 km away) and we visit them always when we have friends and family over. It’s the Abbey of Cadouin and the old church of Saint Avit Senieur, both on the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France. And needless to say; both with such an interesting history.

And we almost forgot that we just ‘Live’ in a UNESCO site:

Bassin de la Dordogne | Man and the Biospere Programme (MAB)
The Dordogne rises on the flanks of Puy de Sancy (1,658 m) in the town of Mont Dore, from the confluence of two small torrents: the DORE and DOGNE. The river traverses a variety of landscapes and functions – mountains, hydropower, large meanders -before flowing into the Gironde at the Ambès beak. The Dordogne is one of the mythical rivers that drain the center of France and provide important ecosystem services to the region.

We just visited the world-famous Lascaux caves in Montignac. This is a must-see! Unbelievably interesting and only found in the ’40s by a couple of young men who lost their dog. (Un)fortunately, people can no longer visit the original cave as there is the danger of extinguishing what they once created, simply by exhaling CO2. But what they created in the modern International Centre for Parietal Art is ‘real’. There are guided tours in different languages and suitable for all ages. Plus a perfect cool down on hot summer days.

Another part we visited and less than a 30-minute drive is the Prehistoric Sites and Decorated Caves of the Vézère Valley a UNESCO World Heritage Site in France since 1979. It specifically lists 15 prehistoric sites in the Vézère Valley mostly in and around Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil, which has been called the “Capital of Prehistory”. This valley is exceptionally rich in prehistoric sites, with more than 150 known sites including 25 decorated caves, and has played an essential role in the study of the Paleolithic era and its art. Three of the sites are the namesakes for prehistoric periods; the Micoquien (named after La Micoque), Mousterian (after Le Moustier), and Magdalenian (after Abri de la Madeleine). Furthermore, the Cro-Magnon rock shelter gave its name to the Cro-Magnon, the generic name for the European early modern humans.

We still have to go to the Cathedrale of Saint Front in Perigueux. This Saint has a special place in the Dordogne by fighting the water dragon of the Dordogne; Le Coulobre (see previous post) and if we have more time we definitely drive to the beautiful Rocamadour (65 km) to see the Basilique Saint Sauveur and its crypt.

When we decided we needed to have – a change of scenery -from our holiday-home-base we went to the beautiful wine area of St-Emilion (86 km) which is close to my husband’s and his family’s hearts. Yes, from time to time we also forget that there is more than work in our lives but then we realize, after all these years in the Dordogne we haven’t seen it all and there is still so much to explore; UNESCO sites, some of the ‘most beautiful villages’ of France are in the area, so much history in the old medieval villages (who recently used a lot for filming movies) and let us not forget the pre-history. Maybe we roam the planet a little bit less, but the curiosity of the world is still there. And so easy to reach from our little hamlet that the backpack and the Lonely Planet can be left behind.

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List of UNESCO sites in the Dordogne

  1. Routes of Santiago de Compostela in FranceEglise Saint-Avit (Saint-Avit-Sénieur)France
  2. Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France Eglise abbatiale Notre-Dame de la Nativité (Le Buisson-de-Cadouin)France
  3. Prehistoric Sites and Decorated Caves of the Vézère ValleyRoc de Saint-Cirq (Saint-Cirq)France
  4. Prehistoric Sites and Decorated Caves of the Vézère ValleyLa Mouthe (Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil)France
  5. Prehistoric Sites and Decorated Caves of the Vézère ValleyFont de Gaume (Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil)France
  6. Prehistoric Sites and Decorated Caves of the Vézère ValleyAbri de Cro-Magnon (Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil)France
  7. Prehistoric Sites and Decorated Caves of the Vézère ValleyAbri du Poisson (Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil)France
  8. Prehistoric Sites and Decorated Caves of the Vézère ValleyLe Grand Roc (Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil)France
  9. Prehistoric Sites and Decorated Caves of the Vézère ValleyLaugerie basse (Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil)France
  10. Prehistoric Sites and Decorated Caves of the Vézère ValleyLaugerie haute (Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil)France
  11. Prehistoric Sites and Decorated Caves of the Vézère ValleyLa Micoque (Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil)France
  12. Prehistoric Sites and Decorated Caves of the Vézère ValleyLa Madeleine (Tursac)France
  13. Prehistoric Sites and Decorated Caves of the Vézère ValleyLe Moustier (Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère)France
  14. Prehistoric Sites and Decorated Caves of the Vézère ValleyCro de Granville (cro de Rouffignac) (Rouffignac-Saint-Cernin-de-Reilhac)France
  15. Prehistoric Sites and Decorated Caves of the Vézère ValleyLascaux (Montignac)France
  16. Prehistoric Sites and Decorated Caves of the Vézère Valley
  17. Prehistoric Sites and Decorated Caves of the Vézère ValleyLe Cap Blanc (Marquay)France
  18. Prehistoric Sites and Decorated Caves of the Vézère ValleyLes Combarelles (Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil)France
  19. Routes of Santiago de Compostela in FranceCathédrale Saint-Front (Périgueux)France

List of UNESCO sites close to the Dordogne

Also check UNESCO sites in Nouvelle Aquitaine for more sites, just a little bit further like for example Bordeaux.