Ranking 9 th in France’s population, beautiful Bordeaux enjoys the stature of an elegant city which also proudly maintains a provincial vibe. And, you’ll see why many folks (including me) would happily spend weeks or months at a time in this fair city. If you do, you’ll discover why the elegant city is beloved and admired as the Grand Dame of France’s south-western corner. I suggest that you make sure you include this lovely gem when you plan a South of France trip. And, although I’m definitely not a food connoisseur, I also knew that I was definitely enjoying some of the best cuisine in all of France at every stop along the way. Not only was I able to experience the Dordogne Valley’s medieval castles and the prehistoric cave art in the Vezere Valley, I was able to also visit to some of the most remarkable medieval French cities that I’ve ever experienced. My amazing trip exceeded my expectations in every way. Using them as my home bases for exploring the South of France region, I was able to branch out on day trips to cover even more of the area. So, I chose 4 key destinations: Bordeaux, Sarlat-la-Caneda, Toulouse and Montpellier. Of course, I wanted to visit the best destinations in the South of France’s south-western corner – particularly the Dordogne and major medieval cities. Plan a South of France Trip – Destinations And indeed it was.Īuthor’s Note: I took my South of France trip in September/October 2019 and can’t wait to return! Good luck as you plan a South of France trip – I hope my notes below help you with your research! Emilion, Carcassonne, and Albi.Īlthough my research had already convinced me that the south-western pocket of the South of France was definitely going to be my next adventure, the absolute icing on the cake was the allure of superb wines from local vineyards and signature cuisine like Foie Gras and roasted duck or goose dishes.Īs the other South of France emerged, I knew the trip would be an adventure to remember. This area is also very popular for the stunning picture postcard medieval villages such as Sarlat-la-Caneda, St. ![]() Trip planning beyond Southern France’s Dordogne and Vezere Valleys, revealed historic, vibrant and culturally rich cities throughout France’s south-western corner – cities such as Bordeaux, Toulouse and Montpellier that have prevailed throughout the ages. (In 1979, UNESCO collectively designated the Vezere Valley’s caves a World Heritage site.) Also, I discovered that the gorgeous Dordogne is where you can visit the renowned Vezere valley which boasts many cave sites containing prehistoric art, possibly dating back 20,000 years or more. I learned that, tucked away in France’s south-western corner which borders Spain, was the breathtaking Dordogne Valley brimming with hilltop-perched medieval castles overlooking the Dordogne River. Once I started planning my South of France trip, the other South of France (beyond Provence and the Riviera) began to emerge. ![]() After all, I studied in Tours in the Loire Valley, lived in Nice on the Riviera, vacationed in Provence and worked in and out of Paris for 10 years. The place is quite impressive - it is great to see the cave paintings and hear about them and the investment to duplicate the whole of the original cave must have been huge.Before sitting down to plan a South of France trip, I thought I knew France. So we got to each point, listened to 1 minute of audio then had to stand around listening to 10 more minutes of French we didn’t understand from the guide. The audioguide technology was good (it detected where you were in the museum and showed you the right info and audio snippets) but the problem was that there was very little English audio. Booked the tour, went into the nearest town and came back at the right time. Anyway, we arrived early afternoon to be told the next available tour was 2.5hrs away and was in French but we could have an English audioguide. In hindsight my advice is to book on the French version of the website and make sure you book an English tour. ![]() We tried to book tickets on the website but it wasn’t working (it later became apparent that only the English version of the website wasn’t working, the French version was).
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