As soon as we spotted the medieval church of the Notre Dame de l’Assomption, we hit the breaks and got out of the car to see what is it. Saint-Genies is a tiny Dordogne village with about 1,000 residents that we have accidentally discovered on our way to Sarlat. You’ll be offered a number of dishes made of local produce, such as duck and goose meat, local cheese selection, and foil grass. Get a coffee, or better yet, stay over for dinner at one of the numerous French restaurants that are right on top of each other. Many Hollywood filmmakers shared this view and that is why at least 6 movies have been filmed here, the most epic of which are: Luc Besson’s Jeanne d’Arc, and The Duellists by Ridley Scott, and Timeline based on a novel depicting time travel back to 14th century France. When you walk the small streets of this town, you truly teleport at least 600 years back. Sarlat is a small medieval town dated back to 14th century which deserves far more attention than it gets. Rendez-vous in the Garden featuring exhibitions, fairs, etc., which happens on the first weekend of June.Marqueyssac Candle Nights that take place on Thursdays in July and August from twilight till midnight.Easter: for some family fun, join the Great Easter Egg Hunt taking place on Easter Sunday and Monday.Jardin de Marqueyssac is great visiting all year round, but there are a few dates with special events that are particularly compelling: The gardens started undergoing renovation rather recently, only 20 years ago and now have 5 full-time gardeners taking care of the park throughout the year. Later on, the beautification of the gardens began featuring the elements of vegetation ornament. Back then, the terraces were meant to be a horse riding path for a military officer. But the main constructions around the residence started in the early 19th century. The history of the Jardín de Marqueyssac dates to as far back as the 17th century, when the estate was bought by Bertrand Vernet of Marqueyssac. View from the gardens over the neighboring village of La Roque-Gageac You can easily spend three hours walking the gardens alone. The gardens feature numerous bush labyrinths and scenic paths totaling 6 km of walking. Often named as one of the best things to see in France, and the most visited gardens in Aquitaine region, Jardin de Marqueyssac will surely leave a lasting impression in your memory. The most beautiful Dordogne villages and places that you cannot miss! I would suggest anywhere from 3 days to a week to explore the best Dordogne region has to offer and to give yourself time to relax and try local delicacies. We have spent 4 days in the tranquility of French countryside and it didn’t even feel enough. But that will involve a lot of driving and very little time to enjoy these beautiful Dordogne villages. Honestly speaking, you can probably drive through all of them in one day. How much time do you need to explore the villages of Southwest France? We quickly skipped Bordeaux, giving it two hours of walking to escape into beautiful Dordogne valley to explore the villages of Southwest France. Though it was too cold for the pool and too early in the year for the lavender fields, this trip to Southwest France ended up just like I have imagined. In my head, I had an image of an old stone cottage in the middle of the lavender field with a pool in the backyard and a total tranquillity. We often discussed taking a trip through villages of Southern France as a relaxing family vacation. This is where our week of exploring the Dordogne villages began and it made us fall in love with Southwest France. Instead, we booked an impromptu flight to Bordeaux. For better or for worse, a trip to Morocco ended up being canceled. But in a rather unfortunate chain of events, which involved a visa problem, it didn’t happen. Together with a couple of friends, I was planning to celebrate my birthday in the colorful riads of Morocco. Let me start by saying that our trip to Southwest France was not planned at all.

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Dordogne map france