3 Star Rated Gȋtes de St Christophe - Gȋte Lavande

Location

Directions

Easy access to our Gȋtes on the main road D47 from Les Eyzies to Sarlat, and lots to see and do by car, cycle, or foot! A bientôt, Chez nous

Neighborhood

Area, History and things to visit/do.

Les Eyzies-de-Tayac-Sireuil (‘Les Eyzies’) and its surrounding area is one of the most interesting, fascinating and beautiful places in the world. It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1979.
More than 460,000 years ago, our ancestors settled in the lush green Vézère Valley. The Vézère River crosses Périgord Noir and joins the river Dordogne at Limeuil, 17kms from Les Eyzies.
In and around the village of Les Eyzies are a series of prehistoric rock dwellings; the caves include some of the most significant archaeological finds of the Upper Palaeolithic and Middle Palaeolithic periods (200,000 to 40,000 years ago), they are especially noted for their extensive cave wall drawings.

Les Eyzies is ideally situated in the Vézère valley which contains 147 prehistoric sites and 25 decorated caves and is home to the Musée national de Préhistoire (National Museum of Prehistory.) The area also contains several important archaeological sites, including the Font-de-Gaume, Grotte du Grand-Roc and the remarkable Lascaux prehistoric caves paintings.

Les Eyzies has a bustling, colourful weekly market on Mondays between April and October, and offers a fabulous choice of convivial restaurants, cafés and bars, all within just 5 mins drive from the Gȋtes de St Christophe.

The Vézère valley is also the perfect destination for the lovers of nature – it offers a wide range of outdoor activities for all ages: walking, hiking, cycling / mountain biking / quad biking, canoeing down the Dordogne / Vézère rivers (an absolute must), swimming, golfing, horse riding, tennis, para gliding, water parks, paint ball, karting, hot air ballooning, wine tasting trips…etc. the list is endless.

The Périgord Noir is the most famous and most beautiful part of the Dordogne with its many castles, caves and valleys. The Périgord Noir (or the Black Périgord) owes its name to the many dark oak forests on the Périgord hills.

In the middle of the gold triangle of the Périgord Noir, i.e. between Sarlat, Montignac Lascaux and Les Eyzies, the gastronomy is an important part of the local tradition where you can enjoy local foie gras, walnuts, truffles, Périgord strawberries…

The beautiful medieval town of Sarlat-la-Caneda (‘Sarlat’) is the capital of Périgord Noir. A visit to Sarlat is a must for anyone visiting the Dordogne. It is a beautifully preserved medieval town, which has been completely restored. In high season it is a bustling city with its Saturday market, tours and festivals. In winter, there are three major events, the Christmas market, the truffle festival in January and the Feast of the Goose in February. It is only 19kms / 20 minutes’ drive away from our Gȋtes. It is the most attractive and famous town in the region and one of the most renowned and visited in France. It has remained preserved and is one of the town’s most representative of 14th century France.

The Périgord Noir includes two of the most beautiful valleys:
The valley of the Dordogne, stretching from Carlux to Siorac en Perigord. It is a valley, where the unspoilt nature is well preserved. Here are many of the most beautiful villages of France, such as Beynac, La Roque Gageac, Domme, Limeuil and Domme and on top of the cliffs there are several famous castles like Castelnaud, Les Milandes, Fénelon and Beynac and the beautiful gardens of Marqueyssac. The river is particularly suitable for canoeing and swimming, there are many beaches along the river. Along the river is a beautiful cycling track, where in former days the railway line was situated.
The valley of the Vézère, stretching from Terrasson to Limeuil, where the Vézère flows into the Dordogne. Along the river you will find many beautiful towns and villages such as Terrasson Lavilledieu, Montignac, Condat sur Vézère Saint Léon sur Vezere and Les Eyzies. Between Montignac and Les Eyzies there are many prehistoric sites, which are also on the World Heritage List of UNESCO, such as the cave of Lascaux, Font de Gaume and Cap Blanc. Along the river are many famous castles such as the Chateau de Losse and Maison Forte de Reignac. Les Eyzies is also known as the world capital of prehistory, due to the many caves and the national museum of prehistory. The valley is particularly suitable for canoeing, hiking or visiting one of the many small parks about the prehistory.

In the south of the Périgord Noir is the beautiful bastide Belvès and in the valley of the Céou the pretty village of Daglan. Other nice places, all of which are worth visiting: Saint Cyprien, Le Bugue, Carlux and Salignac. In and around Le Bugue is a lot to do for kids such as visiting the Aquarium, Le Bournat - an open-air museum about the life around 1900, several caves and the fun park Jacquou Parc.

We will be delighted to explain all the exciting points of interest to visit, and provide our local knowledge of where best to eat, drink have fun and relax whilst on holiday in the region.