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What is the Périgord known for?

10 January 2022
by Loups d'Or

What is the Périgord known for?

T

he Périgord is a former province of France, which corresponds roughly to the current département Dordogne, in the Nouvelle Aquitaine Aquitaine, the largest administrative region in France. The Dordogne was created on 4 March 1790 during the French Revolution, and is named after the river flowing through it, which starts in the mountains of Auvergne and ends up in the Gironde, just north of Bordeaux.

The power of the water flowing through the Dordogne Valley has been harnessed to produce electricity, control flooding, creating magnificent dams and lakes. Many of these lakes, offer outdoor activities for old and young alike, like swimming, water-skiing, paddle-boating, paddle-surfing and fishing. Hiking, picnicking and watching the spectacular views of the surrounding landscape, are other options.

The departement Dordogne is in the Nouvelle Aquitaine (the largest administrative region in France), and was created on 4 March 1790 during the French Revolution from the former province of Périgord.

The Périgord is divided in four colours: purple, black, white and green.

The Purple Périgord, le Périgord Pourpre, is in the southwestern part of the Dordogne. It takes its name from the purple colour of the autumn foliage of the vines and the colour of the wine. It is the country of many Bastide towns, fortified medieval towns, most from English origins. The first Royal Bastide town is Beaumont-du-Périgord, then there is Monpazier, Issigeac, Lalinde, Villefranche de Lonchat and Molières… the only one from French origin, but built under English domination, is Eymet, where today about 10% of the local population are English speaking immigrants. The capital is Bergerac.

The Périgord Noir, in the south-east of the Dordogne, officially refers to the oak and pine woodlands and the dense foliage, making the undergrowth look black. Nowadays, the ‘Black’ is more associated with truffles. The administrative centre is Sarlat-la-Canéda.

The Périgord Blanc, in the centre of the Dordogne, refers to the chalky soil and limestone plateaux and is situated around the department's most beautiful historic capital of Périgueux. Sorges, north-east of Périgeux, is the ‘truffle capital’. The Périgord Blanc is the least well known of the four but don’t let that put you off from visiting and enjoy the peace, tranquillity and the fantastic cuisine.

Then, the rural and unspoiled Périgord Vert, where we are. It is in the north and north-west of the Dordogne, and the least touristy part of it. This part is characterised by its meadows, rolling hills, fast moving streams and verdant valleys. The Regional Natural Parc of Périgord and Limousin also falls partly in this region.

Nontron is the main town and with its only 40,500 inhabitants, the capital of the Green Périgord. Other towns in this part of the Dordogne are Brantôme, Ribérac and Thiviers, the capital of the foie gras. The area is renowned for its cuisine. Local specialities include truffles, foie gras, confit de canard, walnuts, asparagus, strawberries and many many mushrooms.

So, what is the Périgord known for?

The area is noted for its great gastronomy, the famous black truffles, the many sunny days, the prehistoric caves and sites, the 1001 fortified castles, the medieval towns, the outdoor activities, the great markets, the great wines and the different landscapes........in short, many many reasons to visit this beautiful region - and us 😉

Pimm + Marcel

What is Périgord known for? | Gîte Loups d'Or Dordogne

Most of our blogs are written to give you more information about the area where we have our Gîte Loups d'Or. We also write about subjects we think are interesting for you to know. If you have any questions or if you want more information, please feel free to contact us.

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