For 3 years now, they have been taking small groups from every corner of world into the very remote and unmapped parts of the Dordogne, exploring prehistoric caves, shelters, troglodytes as well as Roman and Medievel ruines.

From Walking Dordogne’s Blog

NEW FOR 2010 “Sacred River of Dreams”

After our “Valley of Caves” tour, the “Canoe / Hike the Vezere’ is our second most popular trip, and last year we had to turn down 47 people for this trip alone. “Canoe Hike the Vezere” is a fantastic (long) day trip, as the title suggests, canoeing and hiking to various prehistoric places of interest. However, we did have one big problem with this trip, and that was to decide WHICH prehistoric sites to hike to, because we can only fit so much into “Dawn till Dusk” and there is just so much to see, so, we came up with this new Trip Sacred River of Dreams.

Sacred River of Dreams is the ultimate adventure, we will canoe and explore 30 miles of the Vezere River. Our ancestors settled here, and roamed this area more than 460,000 years ago. These were the hunting grounds of the Neaderthals, and it was here that our ancestors the Cro Magnon settled. This area is riddled with prehistoric caves, shelters and troglodytes, that are unmapped, unknown and unforgettable. Too much to explore in just one day, so we will stay a night in a real Neanderthal cave, with spectacular views of the valley and river. On day 2 we will continue down river and continue our exploration, and at the end of this adventure we will all enjoy a delicious meal in Les Eyzies de Tayac.

This trip will be offered twice a week, from April thru October 20th. NO trips during July and August, and a max. of 6 people per trip ( 3 canoes)

If you would like to do a canoe / hike trip like this, but would rather not, or cannot do an overnight trip, then consider our “Canoe / Hike the Vezere” trip.

As with ALL our trips, you are guaranteed a UNIQUE and exciting trip of a lifetime.

Walking Dordogne is very secretive about their Trails, but, as Duke from Walking Dordogne states,

this is because we have spent years putting these unique trails together, and a lot of our trails are actually on private property.

Walking Dordogne’s notorious rides are :

•The Devils Play Ground
•Satan’s Fury
•Devils Backbone
•Valley of Revenge
•Hells Gorge

Walking Dordogne are planning to launch two Dordogne “EPIC” trails, an EPIC Trail is a trail that will take a whole day (if lucky) to complete, usually aboy 8+ hours.
These 2 EPICS will be finalized in about November, and will be added to the 2010 list of trips / tours.

To make it easier for Mountain Bikers around the world to find mountain biking in the Dordogne info, Walking Dordogne has launched a “Mountain Biking Dordogne” web page : www.mountainbikingdordogne.com

For all other Walking Dordogne Tours and Trips visit : www.walkingdordogne.com

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We can say without doubt that the best cycling conditions are to be found in the Dordogne: quiet country roads to suit all levels of riding, beautiful scenery, and one of the cleanest rivers in Europe to cool off in… La Dordogne. Weather conditions here are great for riding from April to November.

Since 2000, Aquitaine Bike has organized cycling tours throughout France and Spain and worked as consultants to U.S. and British bicycle touring companies. Alongside their bike hire services, they specialize in self-guided custom tours in the Dordogne. Their system and organisation of these cycling tours keep costs to a minimum. Check out their Touring page for details. You can find suggestions for accommodation on the Where to Stay page.

The routes and itineraries that Aquitaine Bike design are the result of 20 years of personal cycling experience in the region and 10 years of client feedback.

Visit their Southwest France Tour page for information on our self-guided trip across Aquitaine, from the Dordogne to the Basque Country.

The Dordogne, or Perigord region, is a treasure of natural beauty, prehistory, history, architecture, and gourmet cuisine built around such delicacies as foie gras, the famous black truffle, walnuts, and fresh strawberries. Magnificent feudal and renaissance castles, prehistoric cave art, quiet country roads linking charming honey-coloured stone villages, meandering rivers, and dense oak and chestnut forests full with deer and wild boar. This magical land will enchant you!

Aquitaine Bike are fully insured and listed with the Ministry of Health, Youth, and Sports, reference number 02407ET0126.

Robert and Amy Owensmith
24220 Coux et Bigaroque, France
Email: aquitainebike@gmail.com
Tel / Fax: +33 (0) 553.30.35.17

For more info visit: www.aquitainebike.com

Aquitaine Bike is highly recommended by

• B&B Ferme de Tayac : www.fermedetayac.com
• Scenic Dordogne : www.scenicdordogne.com
• Walking Dordogne : www.walkingdordogne.com
• Les Eyzies Tourist Info : www.leseyzies-tourist.info
• The Dordogne : www.thedordogne.com
• Dordogne Tourist Info : www.dordognetourist.info
• Duke of Dordogne : www.dukeofdordogne.com
• High on Mountain Biking : www.highonmountainbiking.com

We have spent 2 years exploring the caves, and beyond. “Going Underground” is NOT a “Potholing” adventure, but an adventure for the hikers that want to experience another world underground.
These caves, chambers and tunnels have been used for 1000’s of years, and they played an extremely important role during the Second World War, where they were used by the French Resistance.

This adventure is suitable for most people, but requires a high level of fitness, the ability to clamber, and not claustrophobic.

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For more info about Walking Dordogne’s adventures / hikes, please visit www.walkingdordogne.com

Details about the hikes, or prices have not yet been published on their site.

The original article can be found here: http://walkingdordogne.com/wdnews/

Fishing is very popular in France, and there is no better place to fish, relax and enjoy life, than at Sweet Chestnut Lake.

The lake is situated midway between the large towns of Limoges, Perigueux and Angouleme, approximately a 50 minute drive from each. We are just below the Limousin border in the very desirable department of the Dordogne.
The lake nestles in attractive woodland, 3 km’s north of Saint Saud Lacoussiere a small and attractive village with a few shops, a couple of bars and 2 character hotels. The towns of Nontron, Cussac, Chalus and Thiviers all have supermarkets and are each only a 15 minute drive

Sweet Chestnut Lake.

A beautiful stream and spring fed mature lake of just under 4 acres, 200 metres long and 70 metres wide. Depths vary from 1 metre, where the stream enters, to up to 5 metres at the dam end.

The lake has a certificate of Private Status awarded by the Department of Agriculture and Forestry, which wwas secured in 2007. This means anglers do not need to buy any form of licence, there are no seasonal restrictions and fishing is permissible 24 hours a day.

Levels are always maintained in the lake by the incoming streams and also by springs that can be seen bubbling from the lake bed. In the severe drought in France, in summer 2006, when many lakes actually dried up, sweet chestnut lake retained it’s full height

The lake bed has a combination of hard areas and silt, and there is no significant weed or snags.

Half of the lake has lovely flat grassed banks, level with the waters edge. The remaining half is left more undisturbed as a wild life haven, but we have created access points for anglers between the trees, ideal for stalking.

The lake is surrounded by native woodland . The predominant tree species being Sweet Chestnut and Oak with Birch, Alder, Poplar and Willow also in abundance. Beneath the tree canopy is a profusion of other native vegetation, including Gorse and Broom, Alder Buckthorn and Bracken. Orchids have been seen growing in the shade of the trees.

It is altogether a very healthy environment.

The Lake

Fish Stocks at Sweet Chestnut Lake.

In November 2006 and early January 2007 the lake was stocked with half a ton of ‘Royale’ strain
Carp, from 20lbs to over 40lb’s, supplied by premier french fish dealer Simon Horton. These
These big framed fish, mostly mirrors, are gorgeous specimens and have already made huge
weight gains in their first year. We now have a good head of mid 30’s and 40’s.

In January 2007 6 catfish were introduced, including 3 x 30lb’ers and one of 42lb.The Cats
have settled in very well and have put on 1lb a month since their stocking. The largest in the
lake is now over 50lb.

Original Fish Stocks

Sweet Chestnut Lake has not been emptied for over 20 years and currently supports a healthy
range of fish species. These include original Carp, Tench, Pike, Zander, Chub, Perch, Roach,
Pumpkinseed and wild Trout. The lake is free of Poisson Chat and problem Crayfish.

The lake contains at least 150 original carp, probably quite a few more. These are predominantly
commons and some of the specimens may be over 35 years old. In late Spring 2007 we
counted 145 originals basking in the sun on the surface of the lake. The biggest carp recorded
from the original stock is a 30lb 13oz mirror to a Dutch angler. The majority of these fish are
doubles but some long lean 20lb+ mirrors and commons were banked in 2007 by our customers.

With favourable weather conditions and good angling they are very much a ‘Runs Water’with
plenty of carp of all sizes.

ACCOMMODATION.

The apartment itself is contained within the main house and has recently been refurbished and decorated to a high standard. It is a spacious self-contained, first floor open-plan apartment with a small well equipped kitchen,including a larder fridge, separate bedroom* and en-suite bathroom with English toilet and shower.

The accommodation is situated on the lake side, less that 10 metres from the water’s edge. Access is by way of an external stairway with a small viewing balcony and french doors to the living/dining area.

Outside the apartment exclusive to our guests, there is a lovely area with a stone barbeque, table, chairs and parasol, ideal for sitting out and relaxing. Below this, accessed by natural steps, on the lake’s edge, is a hardstanding which can also be used and you can even fish from here if you like.

The Fishery
The fishery is primarily run as a fly and survive or a drive and survive venue with anglers sleeping in the bivvies provided. The lake size ideally lends itself to exclusive use, for parties of 3 to 4 carp anglers fishing at any one time. Rods, Pods, Double-bivvies, Bedchairs, Chairs, Landing-nets, Unhooking-mats, Weigh-slings, Scales, Stoves, Water Container and Insulated Mugs are included in the package. Bait, including boilies, pellets and freshly prepared particles are available on site.

All our guests will have exclusive use of the apartment and facilities and we can on request provide a fully made up double bed in the bedroom of the apartment at an additional charge. A food package is also available if required:

Breakfast: choice of full English or continental
Lunch: choice of filled baguettes or sandwiches
Evening Meal: two courses – freshly cooked dishes from the menu
Coffee, tea and water included
All meals can be delivered to your swim or served in the apartment.

For Booking enquiries, and up to date info about Sweet Chestnut Lake Fishing Holidays Please visit the official web site at:

www.sweetchestnutlake.co.uk/

1000’s of years ago, there was a very high abundance of wild horses in this region, this can be seen in so many cave paintings found in the region. “Man” has always had a good friendship with horses, and that is still the case today.
For hundreds, if not thousands of years, our ancestors would travel to far away places to trade goods, for hundreds of years, and many generations, would follow the same tracks and trails to get to these often remote places. Along the way they would rest at places that have now become villages, hamlets and even towns. These tracks and trails quickly disappeared with the invention of the train and later the automobile.. lost and forgotten forever..
Well almost, we take you on a trip of a lifetime following these long forgotten trails.. Get on a horse and let us retrace the routes our ancestors took hundreds of years ago.

Ferme de Fonluc is without doubt the place to be, for everyone interested in seeing the Dordogne and Vezere Valley on horse back. Situated in Les Eyzies de Tayac, in the hart of the Vezere Valley, and just 150m from the Vezere river and the famous clifs of Les Eyzies that is home to many prehistoric dwellings and the famous “Grand Roc”

Ferme de Fonluc have a range of unforgettable horse trips and over night tours, suitable for all ages.

For more information please visit their website : www.fonluc.com

1. Lascaux II- Lascaux is considered to be the number one prehistoric site in all of Europe. The paintings on the site date from 17,000 to 15,000 years ago. Shortly after that the cave entrances were closed by mudslides or other natural means, and thus the paintings were perfectly preserved until the modern era. The cave was rediscovered in 1940 by two local boys who were chasing their dog, and several years later it was opened to the public. However, in 1963 it was closed again, as it was discovered that too many people in the cave were causing the paintings to deteriorate. Since then only a few scientists, scholars or art historians per day were allowed in for several hours maximum. For the past few years even those limited visits have been stopped, as new signs of further deterioration have been observed. The French government, however, took up a 10 year project to make an exact duplicate of the cave. This effort, which opened in 1983, uses exactly the same pigments that were used by the Cro-Magnon artists thousands of years ago, and is dimensionally accurate to less than one inch of error. It is called Lascaux II, and is located only about 400 yards from the original cave.

The quality of the artwork is the main reason that Lascaux is considered the finest example of prehistoric cave paintings. Done with only oil lamps for light and using high scaffolding, the prehistoric artists who created this site were highly accomplished artists. Most of the guided visits to Lascaux II are conducted in French, but there are tours in English on most days. One needs to call the Lascaux ticket office in Montignac or the Montignac Office of Tourism to find out if and when there is an English tour on any given day. If you have a group they will probably set up an English tour for you and other English speakers, but this needs to be arranged in advance through the ticket office. Even though Lascaux II is a replica and not the original, it is very well done, very informative, and not to be missed.

2. St. Leon sur Vezere- This is another of the “Most Beautiful Villages of France”. Built in a picturesque loop of the Vezere river, this charming village possesses two castles and one of the finest Romanesque churches of the Perigord. The church was part of a Benedictine priory which was founded in the 12th century. It was built on the ruins of a Gallo-Roman villa. The remains of one of the villa’s walls can be seen on the river side. There is a picnic area next to the church on the banks of the river, and a café is nearby as well. This is an excellent spot to have a pleasant lunch or a refreshing drink.

3. La Roque St. Christophe (St. Christopher’s Rock) is a huge Troglodyte cave complex. For about a half mile in length this majestic cliff rises vertically above the Vezere valley to a height of over 250ft. It is like a huge hive with about 100 caves hollowed out of the rock on five tiers. Excavations have proved that the cliff dwellings were inhabited from the Upper Paleolithic Age onwards. In the 10th century the cliff terraces served as the foundation for a fortress which was used against the Vikings, and again later during the Hundred Years War. It was subsequently destroyed during the Wars of Religion at the end of the 16th century. The self-guided tour explains the evolution of human life at La Roque St. Christophe, which took place over many centuries . In fact even Neanderthal fossils have been found at this site and at other locations nearby.

4. Chateau de Losse- This renaissance chateau sits on the right bank of the Vezere river, and it has a large terrace that overlooks the river and offers picturesque views. The chateau is well known for its excellent furniture and tapestries, which can be seen on the guided tours. The tours are in French, but foreign language guides are available, and these are easy to follow so one does not miss anything. The tours are quite good, and one can also visit the well kept gardens and stroll around the outside of the chateau in the former moat area.

As stated earlier, these four venues in the Vezere Valley between Les Eyzies de Tayac and Montignac can easily be visited in one day, since they are relatively close and do not take too long to visit any of them. If one is staying nearby, in Les Eyzies de Tayac, for example, only about 25 kilometers away, a visit to these sites is well worth the effort.

Our recommended accommodation to visit these 4 venues:
B&B Ferme de Tayac. Lovely B&B in a 12th Century former farmhouse / monastery situated ideally in Les Eyzies de Tayac, the hart of the Vezere Valley and within 20 minutes from all of these attractions.
http://www.fermedetayac.com/

Imagine being shown the professional painting techniques that will, in just a few hours move your works of art up to a new higher level. If you are just starting we will encourage you and give you an artistic confidence that will help you get more enjoyment from this fantastic pursuit.

You will not need to bring any artists equipment with you on your painting holiday in the Dordogne as we have supplies of all the basic materials, which are included in your painting package. If you are already a committed artist and prefer a particular type of brush, paint or a special brand of water-colour paper, feel free to bring them with you. All tuition is in English on your Painting Holiday in the Dordogne.

We are situated in the Dordogne South West France department 24 and is run from ‘Franquettes ‘ which is the home and art studio of English painter Richard Harby and his wife Sally.

Franquettes is near the village of Nabirat in the beautiful Dordogne region of France. Nabirat is famous for its annual strawberry fair (Fete de Fraises) where the year’s production of strawberries is celebrated in the creation of a giant strawberry tart which is displayed in the village square. The medieval town of Domme is just a 10 minute drive away and has been one of our painting locations on previous courses. From its elevated position Domme has one of France’s most spectacular views over the river Dordogne giving an almost aerial view of the fantastic countryside below. A trip to Sarlat, the historic market town of the area is a must with is quaint alleys and cobbled streets. Busy shops, art galleries and restaurants abound and there is usually a variety of entertaining street performers. We are only 10 minutes from the Dordogne river canoe hire and the boating lake at Grolejac.

For more info please visit : www.painting-france.co.uk

For more information go to www.walkingdordogne.com