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Castles of the Dordogne: Château de Fenelon

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Château de Fénelon The Château de Fénelon is a listed historic monument, located in the Dordogne department on the heights of the town of Saint-Mondane from where it dominates the valleys of the Dordogne and Bouriane. The castle was the birthplace of François de Salignac de la Motte Fénelon (much better known by his name of writer Fénelon) who lived during the reign of the Enlightenment of Louis XIV and became Archbishop of Cambrai. The castle draws up its powerful architecture behind three fortified enclosures whose defensive system has been kept intact. The front door was defended by a first gatehouse. The attackers then had to bypass a second defensive wall which left them uncovered and led them to a second 'chatelet' defending access to the foot of the castle. The fortress played a strategic role during the Hundred Years War and was besieged on numerous occasions. Château de Fénelon Main courtyard, Château de Fénelon Well (90m deep), Château de Fénelon The castle was then...

Sarlat, capital of the Perigord Noir and quintessential french village.

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Winding pebbled alleys, little squares framed by beautifully preserved medieval buildings and a long series of hidden corners... You are in Sarlat, centre of the Perigord Noir and quintessential french village. Sarlat-la-Caneda Walking through the streets, you'll be astonished by the details: the ancient doors,  the Reinassance windows, the typical honeyed stones, the peculiar 'lauze' roofs... The old artisans ateliers may have been replaced by souvenirs shops and restaurants, but the atmosphere is still that of the historical films; it feels like descending into Middle Ages. Sarlat-la-Caneda To the south east of the city, the Cathedral Saint Sacerdos shows a mix of architectural styles including Roman and Gothic, signs of the several renovations over the centuries. Just above the cathedral, is the ancient abbey cemetery, called `Jardin des Enfeus` spotted with several sarcophagus and, above it, there is an unusual bullet shaped building called the Lanterne...

Top 10 things to do in the Dordogne Valley

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If you ran into this blog post, we assume you are probably already planning a visit to the Dordogne Valley.  Well done, excellent choice! This beautiful and welcoming department of the South-West of France offers plenty of culture, history, beautiful nature and amazing food, so no wonder why it is one of the top destinations in the country. We have prepared a little list for you that it's just meant to be a starting point, to give you an idea of the most interesting sites and things to do during your stay, and if you haven't booked your trip yet, we are pretty sure you'll be doing it straight away after reading this! Here is our top 10 list of things to do in the Dordogne Valley : 1. Savour the local produces: duck, walnuts and truffles Food lovers already know that the Dordogne Valley is a top gourmet destination . And not only for the voluptuous, fairly expensive and surely controversial (in its preparation) foie gras , but for any kind of duck dish, for the h...