After we left Carcassone, we drove northwest past Toulouse to the Dordogne River valley. We’d heard great things about a village called La Roque-Gageac, reputed to be one of the most beautiful villages in France. As we got closer, we drove through rolling hills covered with oak forests, quite a change from the broad valley with the Pyrenees on the horizon. To be fair, I’d say quite a few of the tiny villages we drove through could have competed for nomination as one of the “Plus Beaux Villages de France”.
La Roque-Gageac was quite charming. It is located right next to the water. We watched many boats pass by. Canoeing the Dordogne seems to be quite popular and it certainly would be a wonderful way to see the area.
The village is located on the southern side of the cliff face and it provides a unique microclimate that supports subtropical flora. The gardens up the cliff were very beautiful!
It was really an idyllic scene.
Apparently, the site had been occupied for many years and there were the remains of a prehistoric settlement even further up the cliff. The cliff provided quite good protection for the settlement and it was heavily fortified during medieval times.
The afternoon was quite warm. Ice cream helped a bit, but we couldn’t resist swimming in the river. We found a great spot just west of the village and jumped in the water.
July 14th, 2008 at 11:04 am
Well, I am always happy to be the first!! I just can’t tell you how much I love all of your posts! I feel as if I’ve hit the jackpot this morning with three new ones! Thank you so much! Love, Grana