The Dordogne and the Lot Valleys are two of the most fascinating départements in France. Side by side, yet so different and so unspoilt, they are both beautiful in their own way: the Dordogne for its lush greenery and its fertile valleys; the Lot for its empty and arid limestone plateaux. There are sleepy villages of golden stone that seem to have stood still in time, spectacularly beautiful castles perched on hill tops forever watching the river and the countryside, and of course the masterpieces of our artistic ancestors on the walls of the limestone caves. The region is proud to have three of the top four most beautiful villages in France: Rocamadour, La Roque Gageac, and St. Cirque Lapopie.

Sarlat, a jewel of its kind, offers such a treasure of medieval and renaissance architecture that it is often used in the making of films. Not to be missed is the house of Etienne de La Boétie, a great philosopher and friend of Michel de Montaigne. This is the most romantic of all the golden stone villages. It even has its own fairy tale castle.

The wonderful Château de Montfort dominates the Dordogne from its commanding position. Destroyed many times over the centuries, it was promptly rebuilt showing a strong spirit for survival. It takes its name from Simon de Montfort who was the first to destroy it in the 13th century. The village houses cling to its sides for protection. A wondrous sight

Thanks to the area's geology, which has produced thousands of caves, the Dordogne and the Lot contain the best examples of prehistoric sites in Europe. Our distant ancestors were particularly fond of the caves along the rivers. Although they were supposed to have been nomads who followed the herds, they seem to have spent quite a long time in the area drawing and painting the animals they admired or worshipped on the walls of the local caves. There are hundreds of caves with evidence of occupation or use, several of which are justly world-famous - such as Lascaux, for instance. This is one of the most famous prehistoric sites in the world. It was discovered in 1940 by 4 boys searching for their dog, and was first opened to the public in 1947.

WHY NOT - combine the beautiful valleys and villages with famous Bordeaux vineyards such as St. Emilion. See the pictures painted by our distant ancestors that Picasso said were artistic masterpieces. Even a visit to the Atlantic coast is not far away. And each night return to a special place to stay in the Dordogne: The Manoir d'Hautegente - Website