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Périgord was one of the main battlegrounds of Hundred Years' War between the French and English in the 14th and 15th centuries. One of UNESCO's World Heritage locations, the valley contains 147 prehistoric sites dating from the Palaeolithic era and 25 decorated caves. The centre of pre-historic studies is the small town of les Eyzies, home to the newly rebuilt Museum of Pre-History, where 19th century archaeological investigations established the valley of the Vézère as an unusually rich array of pre-historic sites dating back some 40,000 years. There are Roman ruins in Périgueux which have been restored and the whole area is known as the 'cradle of mankind' due to its wealth of prehistoric sites, of which the most famous prehistoric site is the painted cave of Lascaux, whose depictions of aurochs, horses, deer and other animals (but not of humans) date back some 17,000 years. Périgord surrounds and is named after the préfecture (capital) of the Dordogne, Périgueux, and also includes Bergerac in the south and Sarlat in the east. Gardens of the Château de Marqueyssac, classified amongst the Notable Gardens of France by the Committee of Parks and Gardens of the French Ministry of Culture. Périgourdine wines include Bergerac (red and white) and Monbazillac. It is known as a centre for truffles in France. Périgord is noted for its cuisine, especially its duck and goose products, such as confit de canard and foie gras. The geography and natural resources of Périgord make it a region rich in history and wildlife, and the newly created Parc Naturel Régional Périgord-Limousin aims to conserve it as such. It is divided into four areas called the Périgord Noir (Black), named so for the truffles that can be found there, the Périgord Blanc (White), for chalk cliffs and quarries, the Périgord Vert (Green), for forests and forestry and the Périgord Pourpre (Purple), for wine and viticulture.

Today, locals refer to the areas surrounding the capital of the Dordogne department, Perigueux, using the old name of ‘le Perigord’.Périgord ( UK: / ˈ p ɛr ɪ ɡ ɔːr/ PERR-ih-gor, US: / ˌ p ɛr ɪ ˈ ɡ ɔːr/ -⁠ GOR French: ( listen) Occitan: Peiregòrd / Perigòrd ) is a natural region and former province of France, which corresponds roughly to the current Dordogne department, now forming the northern part of the administrative region of Nouvelle-Aquitaine. In the past, the Dordogne region was known as the Périgord. In conclusion, and to put it as simply as possible, these Dordogne villages, towns and cities are found in the Dordogne department and in the Dordogne Valley (which crosses other departments of France). In reality, it’s really just a case of semantics, with a touch of complicated french administration thrown in for good measure, because the whole area around the Dordogne River is beautiful and worth exploring. These distinctions can be very confusing for the Dordogne newcomer, especially when booking accommodation.

This is because the Dordogne river and thus the Dordogne Valley pass through that region. ‘Dordogne villages’ are also in, for example, the Occitanie region. But let me go on …ĭepartments are further divided up into arrondissements, cantons and communes … oh and prefectures and subprefectures – but thank goodness we don’t need to delve too far into that!Įach Dordogne village, town or city is a commune but, and this is where the labelling of the ‘Dordogne’ gets tricky, what is called a ‘Dordogne village’ isn’t necessarily a village /commune in the department of Dordogne or even in the Nouvelle Aquitaine region. And it would be if all Dordogne villages were in the Dordogne Department.

One of those 12, is the Dordogne Department One of those 13 regions, the one we are mainly interested in, for the sake of this article on villages in the Dordogne, is the Nouvelle- Aquitaine region.Įach region contains a variety of ‘Departments – The Nouvelle- Aquitaine region contains 12 Departments

Since the beginning of 2016, France has been divided into 13 official regions. We were lucky enough to call the Dordogne home for nine months and adapted to village life rather easily in a tiny Dordogne village called Villars, (pronounced Ville -arr). Medieval castles dot the landscape and life moves in time with the leisurely flow of its rivers and streams. The Dordogne conjures up a dreamy image of picturesque rural France, idyllic rustic farmhouses, and creamy stone houses surrounded by rolling green hills.