We see that javascript is disabled or not supported by your browser - javascript is needed for important actions on the site. Read more

What's New - Home - Login

Member $avings: $81,535,386.63 | Books Available: 800,914 | Members Online: 53

Swap Used Books - Buy New Books at Great Prices!

How To Swap Books Sign Up Search submenu

PBS Market (New Books)

Gift Buying Guide

Book Browser Advanced Search Books Posted Today Member Book Reviews Award Winning Books NYT Best Sellers Amazon Best Sellers Most Traveled Copies Club Wish List

Discussion Forums Book Lists

Club Lists My Book Lists My Watched Lists Create a List

Blog Donations

School Donation Program In Memory of... Military Donation Program Friends of PBS

Box-O-Books Maps The Eclectic Pen Fun Stuff

20 Questions Sudoku Bookmark Creator

Top 100

Requests Posts Swappers Referrers Reviewers

Pulse of PBS Spread The Word

Invite Friends Bookmarks Facebook Page Facebook App More Ways...

Photo Gallery Recipes Club Tag Cloud Member Testimonials

Help Center submenu

How To Swap Books Browse Help Docs Ask the Librarian PBS Member Icons Live Help

Kiosk

PBS Market (New Books) Go Shopping Buy Credits Buy PBS Money Upgrade Membership Gift Certificates Transfer Credits

Need Help?

Search - The Rough Guide to Dordogne & the Lot 1 (Rough Guide Mini Guides)

The Rough Guide to Dordogne the Lot 1 - Rough Guide Mini Guides
Author: Jan Dodd

INTRODUCTION History started with a bang in the Dordogne and Lot region. It was here, along its green, secretive valleys, that prehistoric people first started chiselling away at statues of round-hipped fertility figures. It was here, too, that they penetrated deep into the limestone caves to paint the world's earliest masterpieces of pot-belli... more »ed, prancing ponies, mammoths and muscular bison by the light of flickering oil lamps. Later occupants of the area expressed their faith in the Romanesque churches to be found, uncomplicated and enduring, on many a sun-drenched hilltop, and in the array of abbeys, cloisters and towering cathedrals. The legacy of a more bellicose era lies in the medieval fortresses perched on airy pinnacles of rock and in the feudal villages held snug within their ramparts, while an altogether more intimate link with the past is recorded among the ancient farmhouses tucked into the landscape's folds. In addition to this richly layered history, the Dordogne and Lot is also endowed with a tremendous variety of scenery, from the dry limestone plateaux of the causses, sliced through with narrow gorges, to the lushly wooded valleys of the Périgord Noir and the Bordeaux vineyards' serried ranks. Through these landscapes slide the great rivers that unify and define the region: the Dordogne, which flows 500km from the Massif Central west to the Atlantic coast, and its more modest tributary, the Isle; and further south the Lot, writhing across country on its way to join the Garonne, which, along with its tributaries, the Tarn and Aveyron, marks this region's southern border. Within this riverine framework each area possesses its own local character, marked by subtle shifts in architectural styles, in the hue of the building stone, the crops grown and in the cuisine. It is a region best savoured at its own unhurried pace; there is always something to catch the eye, some forgotten corner to stumble upon, a market or a village fête, where even today older folk use dialects whose origins date back to Roman times. This isn't to say the region is undiscovered - indeed, certain of its sights number amongst the most visited in France - but its heartland is still steeped in what the French call the douceur de vivre, the gentle way of life. The food and wine are the other great inducements to bring you to the region. This is the land of duck and goose, of foie gras and truffles, of succulent lamb, smoky-sweet goats' cheeses and a rainbow array of fruits and vegetables to be sampled in simple country inns or in elegant dining rooms dedicated to haute cuisine. The choice of wines is no less intoxicating, from rich, ruby Cahors to the velvety sweet whites of Sauternes and Monbazillac; wandering the region's highways and byways, sampling these and other local offerings, is a pleasure not to be missed. There is also endless scope for outdoor activities. In summer all the major rivers are flecked with canoes in colourful gaggles, while the Lot is now also open for navigation by houseboats. Walkers and cyclists are well served with a skein of well-marked tracks. Trekking is widely popular, and potholing and rock-climbing are also on offer in certain locations.

ISBN-13: 9781858286662
ISBN-10: 1858286662
Publication Date: 12/3/2001
Pages: 400
Rating:

Currently 4/5 Stars.

4 stars, based on 1 rating

Publisher: Rough Guides
Book Type: Paperback
Members Wishing: 0
Reviews: Member | Amazon | Write a Review

Read All 1 Book Reviews of "The Rough Guide to Dordogne the Lot 1 Rough Guide Mini Guides"

Please Log in to Rate these Book Reviews

Pat W. (3ladybug) reviewed The Rough Guide to Dordogne & the Lot 1 (Rough Guide Mini Guides) on 4/24/2013 + 530 more book reviews

The ultimate handbook to one of France's most compelling regions. Includes: info. on entertaining coverage of sights, ancient abbeys, villages; listings of best places to eat drink & stay from riverside campsites to luxurious chateaux; practical accounts of activities as diverse as wine-tasting in the Bordeaux vineyards & canoeing in the Dordogne river. Full-colour photos, plus detailed maps and plans. A great planning guidebook for your trip abroad.

Share/Like this Review?

Read All Book Reviews of "The Rough Guide to Dordogne the Lot 1 Rough Guide Mini Guides"

Genres:

Travel >> Europe >> France >> General
Travel >> Europe >> France >> Dordogne
Travel >> Europe >> General
Travel >> Reference >> Guidebooks
Travel >> Travel Writing
Travel >> Guidebook Series >> Rough Guide

Back to the Top ↑

Search - The Rough Guide to Dordogne & the Lot 1 (Rough Guide Mini Guides)

Please Log in to Rate these Book Reviews

Loading...