Unesco, the world cultural body, has threatened to humiliate France by placing the Lascaux caves – known as the “Sistine Chapel of prehistory” – on its list of endangered sites of universal importance.
The Unesco world heritage committee, meeting this week in Quebec, has given the French government six months to report on the success of its efforts to save the Lascaux cave paintings in Dordogne from an ugly, and potentially destructive, invasion of grey and black fungi.

At the same time, a scientific committee appointed by the French government has conceded that an elaborate treatment with a new fungicide in January failed to stop the mould advancing through one part of the caves.

An independent pressure group of scientists and historians claims that up to half of the startlingly beautiful, 17,000-year-old images of bison, horses, wild cattle and ibex are now threatened by the fungal invasion – the second of its kind in eight years.

The heritage committee warned France this week that it will consider placing Lascaux on its list of imperilled cultural and natural sites of global significance unless progress is made by next February. The committee requested France to open Lascaux – closed to the public since 1963 – to a visit by independent experts. It also advised France to commission an “impact study” of all past, and possible future, actions in the caves since the first fungal invasion in 2001-02.

There are already 31 sites on the Unesco “List of World Heritage in Danger”, including such treasures as the ancient Buddha statues of the Bamiyan valley in Afghanistan, partly destroyed by the Taliban. Only one of the existing, officially threatened sites is in western Europe – the architectural heritage of the Dresden-Elbe valley in eastern Germany, site of a planned motorway. A decision by the Unesco committee to list Lascaux as “endangered” would, therefore, be a severe embarrassment to France. Unesco would, in effect, be telling Paris that it can no longer be trusted to manage one of the world’s most important historical and cultural treasures.

Officials from the French government’s department of historic monuments and experts from all over the world have been quarrelling for years over the best way to preserve the Lascaux paintings. Some experts have accused the French authorities of a series of blunders, including a change in the air-conditioning system in 2000, the use of high-powered lights in the caves and allowing too many “special” visits.

An independent body, the International Committee for the Protection of Lascaux, infuriated Paris by asking Unesco to intervene last September. Laurence Léauté-Beasley, president of the committee, was jubilant yesterday. “The requirements placed upon France [by Unesco] are significant and strong,” she said. “France will now have to answer to the world community for actions they have taken in the past and will take in the future. Lascaux’s management must now operate in a spirit of transparency.”

The French authorities initially denied that the Lascaux paintings themselves had been attacked by the second fungal invasion. They later admitted to some blotching on the paintings but no lasting damage. The independent protection committee, citing information from experts who have visited the caves, insist that some of the images have been irreparably blurred or that their colours have faded.

Mme Léauté-Beasley said: “Upwards of 50 per cent of the caves’ … art is disappearing under an incursion of black spots, some as large as human hands, triggered by the use of high intensity lights and excess human presence inside the cave.”

On Thursday night, the French authorities admitted a setback. A treatment with fungicide in January appeared to have been successful at first but the black and grey blotches are now spreading once again across one part of the paintings, according to an official statement.

A committee of international experts, appointed by Paris after the first fungal attack in 2001, announced that the new treatment had been “very satisfactory” in one part of the caves, known as the “room of the bulls”. The spread of fungal blotches had resumed, however, in the “right-hand part of the caverns”.

Marie-Anne Sire, the head curator of Lascaux, told the French news agency AFP that the news was disappointing but progress was being made. Studies had revealed that the air which used to circulate in the caves had become immobile. This might explain the fungal outbreaks – and to offer a possible solution, she said.

The paintings were discovered by chance in September 1940. The 600 images of aurochs, wild horses, bison and ibexes are regarded as among the finest cave paintings in the world.

Visions of the past

The Lascaux paintings are in a cave on the left bank of the river Vézère, a tributary of the Dordogne. They include depictions of ibexes facing off, and a “unicorn” chasing a herd of horses. It is thought that they were painted between 15,000 and 17,000 years ago by hunter-gathering people who crushed minerals to create red, ochre, brown and black paints.

The paintings were discovered accidentally by four teenagers in September 1940. After a visit to the caves, the Cubist artist Pablo Picasso declared: “We have invented nothing.” The caverns were closed to the public in 1963 to protect them from just the kind of fungal infections that have appeared over the past eight years. In 1983, a complete life-sized facsimile of the caves and paintings – Lascaux Two – was opened nearby for visitors.

By John Lichfield in Paris
Saturday, 12 July 2008

Our recommended accommodation to visit Lascaux

B&B Ferme de Tayac : www.fermedetayac.com Lovely B&B in a 12th Century former farmhouse / monastery opposite the fortified church of St. Martin.
Ferme de Tayac is just 25 minutes from Lascaux

In the early 12th century 6 Monks from the Monastery of Paunat were travelling between Monasteries when one of the Monks became very ill, they set up camp in Tayac near a water source. The monk was dieing, but miraculously healed after drinking the water from the “Tayac Source”. To the Monks of Paunat this was a “Sign” and round about 1123 they started building the magnificent and fortified church of Tayac, they called it “St Martin“.
At the same time, the Monks of Paunat started working the land in this lush Vezere valley, they built the farmhouse / monastery, which is now “Ferme de Tayac” that has been completely renovated, and is now a lovely B&B opposite the church.
For hundreds of years the Monks lived here and worked the lands, bit by bit houses were built against the rock.
The water from the “Tayac Source” was taken to other surrounding Monasteries, for it’s healing powers, Tayac was thriving.
Two centuries later, things took a turn, wars were breaking out, armies were constantly attacking areas and strongholds. Religion and all that went with it lost it’s power, and very slowly the life in and around Tayac became what it is today. St. Martin still stands proud, and is without doubt the nicest Fortified Church in the Perigord, the “Tayac Source” is still there, although no longer in use.

During construction for a railroad in 1868, a rock shelter in a limestone cliff was uncovered. Near the back of the shelter, an occupation floor was recognized, and when excavated, it revealed the remains of four adult skeletons, one infant, and some fragmentary bones. The Link between Prehistoric Man and Modern Man had been found in Tayac.

Recommended accommodation in Les Eyzies de Tayac:

B&B Ferme de Tayac : www.fermedetayac.com Lovely B&B in a 12th Century former farmhouse / monastery opposite the fortified church of St. Martin

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/

Bart Vranken
Guide Interprete National

La Combe 24620 Les Eyzies France
tel. : +33.(0)5.53.35.56.27 mob. : +33.(0)6.83.29.59.45
e-mail : bvranken@aol.com

0 30.01.1961 St. Amandsberg Belgium

Degrees in Prehistory, History, Art-history and Philosophy
(Chicago Art Institute – U.S., Rijksuniversiteit Gent –
Belgium, Universite de Bordeaux 1 – France).

“Guide Interprete National” Prehistory, History, Art-history,
Licence-card no : G.N. 02.24.09 Archeology, Architecture,
Landscapes, Nature.
Guide, Interpreter, Lecturer.
Independent and autonomous :
Nederlands, English, no URSSAF : 240 266393362
Francais, Deutsch. no SIRET : 389 314 360 00022

Duration, means of transport, themes and sites of your excursion
can be customized to your wishes.

Ref. : “Finally, my particular thanks to historian Bart Vranken for
his invaluable insights, and for his companionship while tramping
through little-known and neglected ruins of the Perigord.”
Michael Crichton, in “Timeline” : Acknowledgments, p. 446.

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

We specialize in web sites for the Dordogne region. We know how extremely difficult it is to get your name or business onto the search engines. We do not just design web sites, we help you get your site seen by potential customers from around the world.

Designing a web site is the easiest part, getting people to find your site amongst the more than 92 Billion!! (indexed by google in 2006) sites can be tricky and very expensive.
I have designed more than 20 Dordogne related sites to help advertise your web site after it has been launched.

Let Dordogne Design put you on the web, can you afford not to?

Here are some stats that show the importance of a web site:

Key facts and figures from 1 March 2007

• Over 3.1 million tourists
• Average length of stay (all accommodation): 10 days
• Representing almost 31 million nights’ accommodation
• A direct turnover of at least 980 million euros
• Over 6,000 permanent jobs in tourism (6900 in July & Aug.)
• Tourism in the Dordogne represents over 31% of the local economy

More facts and figures.

• 77% booked part of their vacation online. (airline, ferry, rental car etc)
• 93% of visitors researched the area online before visiting.
• 71 % of visitors booked accommodation online

5 years ago, these figures would have all been below 30%, and 10 years ago they would have all been below 3%, however, in 3 year time they will ALL be above 90%

These figures show the importance of a web site, and no one can design, host, advertize and optimize your dordogne related site better than Dordogne Design .
Dordogne Design, owned by de Paulus who knows how to put the Dordogne and your site / buisness on the web.
With more than 20 Dordogne related web sites that are already high on the mayor Search Engines list are ready to advertise your site.
Advertising a site designed by Dordogne Design on all our parent sites is FREE, saving you hundreds of Euro’s, and focusing only on the Dordogne which will attract only people that are searching for Dordogne related sites.

Dordogne Design does not design web sites for a living, which means the prices are as low as you will ever find, and your web site is a de Paulus Project, which means he will always be there for you whenever you need help or advice.
Get in touch with Dordogne Design and see what they can do for you… Can you afford not to?

The increase in service will see extra capacity added to the Monday and Friday schedules with an extra flight on each day from 14th July to 22nd August.

Southampton - Bergerac

- Flights operate twice daily on Mondays and Fridays
- Flights operate daily on all other days
- Fares begin at £39.99 one way including taxes and charges

Flights are available now for booking on Flybe.com.

Bergerac is located in the heart of the ever-popular Dordogne region of France and with its rich cultural heritage, fantastic local cuisine and famous wines the market town makes an ideal location for summer breaks.

Mike Rutter, Chief Commercial Officer Flybe, says: “This service has proved so popular with our southern travellers that we’ve decided to offer extra flights to Bergerac on Mondays and Fridays. The additional services will make the south west destination even more accessible for visitors looking for a long weekend in the Dordogne. However, with the increased service only on offer for a month we’d advise people to book now to avoid missing out.”

“Flybe is strongly committed to its Southampton base and this move sees us listening to our customers’ needs and responding accordingly.”

Caves decorated with art from the late Paleolithic period, approximately 10,000 to 30,000 years ago, have been found only in France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Russia and Mongolia. The largest cluster of Paleolithic art caves dot the Dordogne department of southwestern France the Vezere Valley, which is honeycombed ,with limestone caves and towering cliff shelters eaten out by glaciers and underground rivers as long as 140 million years ago. In this underground network, with constant temperature and humidity and isolation from light, the art has been very well preserved.

The most exciting sites open to visitors in the Dordogne include Lascaux, Font-de-Gaume, with drawings of bison, horses and deer; Combarelles, where Stone Age people left more than 300 engravings, and Cap Blanc, offering 14 animals gracefully sculptured in deep relief.

Cave art had been seen by villagers as least as far back as the 16th century, according to graffiti in the vast cavern at Rouffignac. But it was assumed to be modern until an explorer announced in 1880 that the paintings in the Altamira cave were prehistoric.

The notion of art as ancient as 30,000 years before the birth of Christ was met with skepticism on the ground that it conflicted with Christian belief. Only in the 20th century did scientists agree that humans indeed discovered how to artfully draw, sculpture and carve engravings during the Stone Age.

The Louvre of all the caverns is Lascaux. The cave entrance, less than a mile south of Montignac on the Vezere River, was sealed from harmful air for centuries by landslides. After trees covering the entrance were uprooted by a storm, four teen-agers seeking buried treasure discovered the cave in 1940.

Opened to tourists in 1948, Lascaux had to be closed in 1963 after green algae and white calcium deposits attacked the paintings. An exact copy built in cement nearby was inaugurated in November 1984. The cement cannot be harmed by bacteria and outside air and the paintings are covered with a transparent film.

Contrary to widespread belief, the original Lascaux, guarded by a wire fence and two German shepherds, can be seen by qualified people. Applicants connected with science, journalism, teaching, art, museums, even politics, have received invitations after waiting for months.

On an authorized visit one recent day, a guide, Jacques Marsal, led the way past the dogs and wooden towers with instruments that record humidity, temperature and air pressure in the cave, monitored by the Pasteur Institute in Paris. Visitors must wet the soles of their shoes in antiseptic and descend to the dark, cold cave through three anterooms that keep out air. Then the electric lights go on, and the stereotype of the Stone Age brute is crushed. The cave gleams with delicate drawings in ocher and brick red, outlined in deepest black by artists who were obviously sensitive people. Deer with graceful horns, drawn with sensual lines, recall works of Picasso. The guide’s flashlight plays on a splendid herd of deer, apparently clambering out of water, each with a different expression, each in a different position.

On the cold stone walls, a calf stumbles before a three-sided square that could depict a trap. A horse falls over a cliff, its face showing fright, possibly depicting organized stampedes to slaughter animals.

”The artists painted the outline of each animal all in one movement without hesitation, quite a feat,” says the guide.

The final shock is emerging from the Stone Age cave to see white trails from jet fighters crisscrossing the blue sky. A two-minute walk downhill stands Lascaux II, the cement reproduction built by the owner of the land and the state, now the proprietor.

Molded above ground by 12 Brazilian, Greek and French sculptors over nine years, the cave is a feat in itself as the cement truly resembles rock. A French artist worked seven years with prehistoric tools and pigments to copy the paintings from photographs. The copiers even repeated holes where the prehistoric artists had inserted logs to stand on so they could reach a high ceiling to paint a circle of horses reminiscent of Chinese art.

The reproduction is impressive. But the ancient Lascaux, like any original artwork, is worth the wait. Lascaux II lacks the impact of antiquity, and the drawings appear flat because the real Lascaux walls glisten with crystals.

Some 200 paintings and 1,500 engravings decorate Lascaux I, which is 819 feet long. Lascaux II, 131 feet long, displays 100 or so paintings and no engravings.

Those startling handprints are a frequent motif in art of the late Paleolithic period. Handprints fringe paintings in the Pech Merle grotto, including one of a black polka-dotted horse. Two hundred fifteen handprints, usually of the left hand, decorate the Gargas cave in the Hautes-Pyrenees department near Spain.

Experts say 11 footprints at Pech Merle were those of a woman and child. They believe women and children often visited the caves to see the art, or to worship. The caves are believed to have been sanctuaries, devoted to the worship of animals, magic or the hunt, but scientists do not know for sure. The guides emphasize that prehistoric people were not ”cave men.” Because of the dampness of grottos and the need to build fires, Cro-Magnon people lived only at cave entrances, in minuscule caves or under overhangs of giant cliffs.

Patterns emerge in their art. Most of the subjects are grass-eaters such as horses, bison, deer, reindeer and ibex. Less numerous are meat-eating mammoths and rhinoceroses, which once roamed France, boars, wolves and fox, plus fish, birds and reptiles. A fish was engraved on the ceiling of a riverside shelter north of Les Eyzies, a Dordogne town dotted with prehistoric sites that calls itself the Prehistoric Capital of the World.

Drawings of humans are rare and not realistic. Men appear more often than women (although many prehistoric statuettes of women have been dug from sites throughout the world). In Lascaux, a man falls dead before a bull pierced with a spear, its entrails dangling. Arrows were thrust into men drawn at Lascaux, Pech Merle and Cougnac, north of Cahors. Evidence of war? Experts say flints have not been found in Paleolithic skeletons, but they have in later Neolithic graves after agriculture was discovered and people became property owners, and thus could have been defenders and aggressors.

The Cro-Magnons painted under the light of small stone lamps, which have been found in cave digs. They applied charcoal, ocher or red and yellow pigments of oxidized iron with brushes or their fingers or dabbed on colors with fur or blew them through tubes. Engravings were made with bone, horn or stone.

The art is seldom seen near cave entrances, perhaps for religious reasons - or because paintings near airy entrances did not last. The gigantic grotto at Rouffignac offers a mile and a half ride on a small train to view paintings of mammoths, some overdrawn with graffiti of modern explorers.

At Cap Blanc, near Les Eyzies, a 14,000-year-old frieze of five horses, carved in relief, rivaling those of ancient Greece, was even more ruined by the pickaxes of overenthusiastic diggers in the 20’s.

A visitor can see the major Paleolithic caves in the Dordogne within a week.

Most tours are in French, although descriptive pamphlets in English, Spanish and German are sold in most grottos. Large luxury chain hotels are absent, in favor of small, comfortable hotels.

Perigord and Quercy restaurants serve local specialties such as foie gras, truffles, walnuts and wild mushrooms. Canoeing and swimming in rivers and visiting more chateaus than are found in the Loire valley are other temptations.

But the passion for prehistory is catching. At La Madeleine, a site near Les Eyzies, prehistoric families lived in a riverside cliff shelter to be near fish. In the ninth century, about 80 people lived higher up, apparently so they could hurl stones on invading Vikings. The visitor turns away from the cliffside village, disappointed. Ninth century? That’s modern.

Our recommended accommodation near Lascaux and all the other Vezere Valley Caves:

B&B Ferme de Tayac. Lovely B&B in a 12th Century former farmhouse / monastery situated ideally in the hart of the Vezere Valley and within 20 minutes from Lascaux, and walking distance from Font de Gaume and Les Eyzies http://www.fermedetayac.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/

‘Learn to Paint in France’ is run by English chef Jim Fisher and his wife, Lucy.  Jenny, their fifteen year old daughter, goes to the local school at Montignac.
They live in a converted barn in the rolling Dordogne countryside, and it is from here that they run their cooking and art holidays.
They have worked hard to build their extremely popular cookery school and art holiday business, but thoroughly enjoy the challenge and experience of providing relaxing and fun activity holidays for their guests.

Learn skills that are already within you…
Well, our experienced friendly artists say that it’s all about showing you how to really ’see’ with artist’s eyes, and being able to build a successful painting while they gently tease out skills that are already in you! 
In just a few idyllic days you’ll learn to paint and draw with skill and flair, enhance your painting technique and have a lovely time in great company and peaceful surroundings.
All subjects and media covered…
Between them, our tutors cover the complete range of subject matter:

• Landscapes

• Portaiture

• Still-life

• Animals

• Buildings and architecture

and the most popular media:

• Watercolour

• Gouache

• Acrylic

• Oil

• Pencil and charcoal

• Mixed media

We’re friendly, English-speaking and cater for all skill levels…
Our great value painting holidays prices (starting from just £120 per person)are conducted in English and are designed to cater for all skill levels.  So, whether you’re an outright beginner, keen amateur or budding professional, you’ll always be in good company. 

When you email us, or phone 0033 [0]553 302405, we’ll have a chat about what you want to achieve.  Then, we’ll tailor the course to suit you and your fellow guests by gathering together similarly skilled painters on the same course.  How simple is that?!
So, if you enjoy painting among friendly like-minded people in a warm relaxed atmosphere, come and learn to paint with us because you’ll quickly feel very much at home.

For more information about “Painting in the Dordogne” please visit: http://www.learntopaintinfrance.com/