The Dordogne River cuts across central France, roughly parallel to the Loire River.  This ready access to the heart of France made the river and its valley popular for the locals as well as with attackers.  The local population liked being able to get product out to market.  The attackers (most notably the Vikings and the English) liked the easy access to ripe fields.

This mixed history has resulted in a very scenic area with a mixture of both attackers and product.  Castles around each bend of the river.  Troglodyte homes built into cliffs for safety.  The home of fois gras and some of the tastiest wines in France.

In addition to this more recent history, the Dordogne river is also one of the cradles of mankind with traces of human occupation dating back 10's of thousands of years BC.

All-in-all, a wonderful and exhilarating place to spend time exploring the past and the present.

The map below or the links to the left will take you to some of the stops along our trip.