Travel to Périgord

You may hear different names for this region. Périgord or Dordogne. Périgord evokes thoughts of cultural things, foie gras and landscapes while Dordogne evokes thoughts of administrative things.

After the French Revolution in 1789, the provinces of France were reorganized, trying to break with the royal past. Périgord is the old name while Dordogne is the new name given after the Revolution.

Not only is Périgord a beautiful area of southern France, it is also the center of prehistory.

As an archaeologist, it was heaven for me to go to a place where terms in my field originated, i.e. Cro Magnon, Mousterian, Magdelinian, etc.

I am lucky enough to go back here year after year, but if you are only going for a couple of days, here are some MUST SEES.

1. Les Eyzies

The town of Les Eyzies. The rock formations here are incredible.

Museums aren't always boring, as is the case with the Musée National de Préhistoire (The National Museum of Prehistory) in Les Eyzies.

Before going to visit all the sites, visit this museum. It will give you an idea of the prehistory in this area so maybe you won't be so overwhelmed by all there is to see.

View from the National Museum of Prehistory

In reality, you could spend all of your time in this area, there is so much to see. There is so much prehistory and history here.

Just a short drive away is the Roque Saint-Christophe, one of the world's most important troglodytic sites due to its size, it is over one kilometer long ! This troglodyte city is a natural rock shelter and includes the largest staircase in Europe made from a single piece of rock. It has been continuously inhabited since about 55,000 years ago.

View of the Vézère River from the Roque St. Christophe

The stone staircase at Saint Christophe's Rock, the largest in Europe made of a single piece of rock.

Another short drive away is La Maison de Forte Reignac. The house or fort is situated in the rocks. Going to Périgord was the first time I saw such a thing. Instead of having four walls, the rock serves as parts of the walls and roof. The house/fort is now a museum that details it's medieval use along with prehistoric displays.

A view of Reignac from the parking lot across the street.

Inside Forte Reignac. As you can see, the rock serves as part of the building.

2. Lascaux Cave

Lascaux IV

While Lascaux is the most well-known cave in this area, there are others you should not miss out on.

But first, Lascaux. It is called the Sistine Chapel of prehistoric art. Pretty impressive.

If you want to see the amazing reproductions, visit Lascaux IV. BUT, if you're an archaeologist, or just really interested in prehistoric caves, visit Lascaux II. I honestly preferred Lascaux II. The group size was smaller and you got to go in the cave and see the original replicas.

My husband and I after visiting Lascaux II

At this point you may be wondering what about Lascaux I and III ? Lascaux I is the original cave, no longer open to the public. Lascaux III is a traveling exhibition. So you only need to decide between Lascaux II and IV. If you have the time, go to both !

Since 1963, the main cave with the prehistoric paintings is not open to the public, after only being open to the public since 1948. The carbon dioxide and heat from around 1,200 visitors a day lead to the damage of the paintings and the closure of the caves to the public.

The cave was discovered in 1940 by a boy named Marcel Ravidat and his dog Robot.

3. Cave of Font de Gaume

Not the entrance to the cave, you have to walk from here to that point. This is the gift shop.

I got really excited when I learned Font de Gaume is a polychrome painted cave that is still open to the public. You read that right ! This cave is still open to the public ! Make sure to reserve your tickets in advance, only 200 visitors are allowed each day, compared to over 1,000 who visit Lascaux per day.

The entrance to Font de Gaume (no pictures are allowed in the caves)

4. Rouffignac Cave

Outside of the entrance to the cave.

I highly recommend this cave. This was my first prehistoric cave and I thought no way will I be impressed. I'm an archaeologist. I've seen pictures.

Boy was I wrong. I can't even begin to describe how these cave drawings made me feel. I was in awe. You have to experience this for yourself.

An interesting fact about this cave, during World War II, it was used as a hideout for the French Resistance.

Anyway, back to the visit. You get to ride a small train back to the drawings, this way it is safe for visitors to go two kilometers into the cave. On the way, the tour guide points out nests (depressions in the rock) made by cave bears along with their scratches on the wall. There are a lot of these nests, and an interesting fact is only ONE cave bear lived in the cave each winter. So, you can imagine how long this cave was occupied by cave bears.

****A side note to visiting caves, you're going underground. It's COLD !! Even if it's hot outside. Be well prepared with jackets and pants and closed-toed shoes.

5. Château de Milandes

Château Milandes

There are many châteaux (castles) in the Dordogne region of France, but this one is definitely worth a visit. You see, this castle was once owned by Josephine Baker.

The beautiful view from the castle. It doesn't always include me and my husband, but it's still beautiful without us ;)

Baker was a star that left the United States to go to France in the 1920s. This was because as a black woman during the time of segregation in the United States, she couldn't have a career in the US. She loved France so much, she even became a member of the French Resistance during World War II. Josephine Baker now lies in the Pantheon in Paris.

So, travel to the Dordogne region (Périgord) in southern France. The prehistorian in you is waiting...

And if this hasn't convinced you to go, go for the night sky. The stars are unbelievable here.

A view of the Big Dipper in the night sky.

*This post contains affiliate links where if you buy, I get a small commission at no extra charge to you.