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It then becomes a river and winds its way through limestone landscapes in the Quercy limestone plateaus and the cliffs of the Périgord. At first a series of rapids, its gorges wind through the volcanic landscapes of the Dore and Cantal mountains and the forests of Limousin. The Dordogne River is one of the most iconic rivers in France, some even call it the “most beautiful river” in the country. Among the must-see attractions are the gardens of Eyrignac, the Gardens of the Imagination, the Water Gardens, the hanging gardens of Marqueyssac and the gardens of the Château de la Treyne… to name but a few. The Dordogne Valley is also known for its many parks and gardens. The castles of Pannonia, the Saint-Laurent Towers and Rocamadour also attract many visitors. The architectural heritage of the Dordogne valley also includes iconic buildings such as the castle of Montal, the Towers of Merle, the castles of Fénelon, Hautefort or Vassinhac. Visitors are also interested in the Château des Milandes, a sumptuous residence where Josephine Baker found refuge at the beginning of the German occupation it was also there that the woman known as the “Black Venus” agreed to gather information from high-level foreign military and political officials on behalf of the French Military Intelligence. For example, the castles of Castelnaud and Beynac were sworn enemies for a long time during the Hundred Years War. These places tell some of the most important stories of the region’s history. The Dordogne valley is also the land of castles, manors and gardens. The Padirac chasm is also one of the region’s must-see sites. The area also has many caves with concretions, including the Lacave caves and the Lascaux caves. The prehistoric cave of Merveilles and the caves of Cougnac are among the decorated caves in the Dordogne valley. These cave paintings provide information about the environment and lifestyle of these prehistoric communities. These distant ancestors lived in caves whose walls are decorated with paintings and engravings representing mainly animals, those they hunted in particular. The Dordogne valley is one of the territories that still bears the traces of the first human communities that settled in Europe several thousand years ago. The train line that runs the length of the Dordogne valley does not stop at each town and you will find the trains infrequent.Historical heritage in the Dordogne Valley
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Once you reach the Dordogne, however, onward travel throughout the region by train can be fairly difficult. Tickets can be purchased online or at any train station in France.Īccessing the Dordogne area from Paris by train will find you travelling through central France to Brive, Bergerac or Perigueux, all located in the Dordogne Valley. TGV train tickets must be bought in advance and there are a whole host of special offers available for families, seniors, and groups throughout the year. The SNCF website has information for TGV and national rail service timetables. Trains connect cities and towns all around France and even cross the border into Spain, Italy, Switzerland and Belgium. Many routes will begin in Paris, stopping at convenient stations throughout the country before arriving in Dordogne. There are over 32,000 kilometres of railway laid all across the country, a good chunk of them sustaining high-speed services, the world-renowned TGV (Train à Grande Vitesse) which reaches average speeds of around 320km/h. SNCF (Societé Nationale des Chemins de Fer Français) is France's national railway company, owned by the French state, operating throughout continental France and Monaco.