dossier
The Dordogne Valley - 8 days
Travel Information
Arrival: Between5pm and 7pm on first day.
First hotel:At Sarrazac 25 km/16mi from main line railway station at Brive (cost approx. 35Euros/US$46 per taxi, or 50 Euros/US$67 on Sundays and holidays and from 7pm to7am).
Nearest Airports:
(a) Toulouse then 20 min shuttle bus ride, then 2hr30 min non-TGV rail journey to Brive (but infrequent trains, especially onSaturdays).
(b) Paris. Then RER and metro to Gare d'Austerlitz(50min) and train to Brive (4hrs) then train to Quatre Routes, plus taxi to 1sthotel or taxi direct from Brive to 1st hotel.
Travel:
a) By air to Paris. Overnight flights from manyregional airports to Paris CDG, then RER and metro to Paris Austerlitz and 4hour non-TGV train journey to Brive. Then train to Quatre Routes, plus taxi, or taxi drirect from Brive tofirst hotel.
b) By air to Toulouse, daily flights on Air Francevia Paris. Followed by 2hr 15 min non-TGV train journey to Brive. (But infrequent trains, especially onSaturdays.)
c) Car rental in Paris then drive to Brive.
d) By Eurostar and train, Waterloo-Paris-Brive. Train times vary greatly butcan be checked on Rail Europe’s website at www.sncf.com.
Train times vary greatly. To check times visitRail Europe's website at www.raileurope.com or call toll free 1-800-848-7245.
Although not a TGV route, advance seatreservations are strongly advised.
Train timetables change over to summer service inlate May and back again in late September.
End of tour: The last hotel is at Creysse. Return via taxi to train station at StDenis les Martel or at Souillac Both stations are served by trains to Brive(for Paris) and Toulouse. Rail tickets are not included in the tour price.
Season: April to mid-October
Level of Difficulty
Fitness: Thistrip is rate Moderate. This walk should present no difficulties for anyone inreasonable condition and accustomed to walking.
Day stages:15km to 22km (9mi to 14mi) per day with average altitude gains of 350m. 3 to 7hours walking per day.
Waymarks: Waymarksfor this 8-day tour are everywhere Grande Randonnee style white over red. Thetrail follows in the main well established paths and presents no specialdifficulties. Very occasionally you may encounter short sections somewhatovergrown with stinging nettles or brambles; gloves and/or a small pair of “secateurs”could be useful here.
Accommodation & Meals
Accommodation is on a half board basis(evening meal, bed and breakfast) in country inns and auberges. The rooms allhave en-suite facilities. Picnic lunches are not included in the tour cost butare available from hotels at a cost of up to 10-12 Euros/US$13-16 (order theprevious evening) or materials can usually be bought from local shops. Weindicate in route notes the various possibilities for each day.
Night 1: Sarrazac.The cellar of this establishment (1* Star) was formerly a smithy where, threegenerations ago, the blacksmith's wife would serve refreshments to waitingcustomers. Tiny Mme Aussel and her jolly daughter Chantal are as hospitable astheir ancestors, the smithy has vanished, and guests are housed in a venerablebuilding nearby.
Night 2:Meyssac. A delightful stone building (** Star) in the heart of town. Theinterior has been totally modernized with style and individuality. Theextensive garden behind the hotel features a swimming pool. As an alternativewe occasionally use a chambre d'hote in the countryside near Collonges.
Night 3:Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne. A splendid great building (** Star) in the center oftown and part of the old XIIc Abbey. Winding stone stairs and vast stonefireplaces in some bedrooms. The Star has a notable restaurant opening onto ashady terrace. Good food.
Night 4: Portde Gagnac. Old established family-run hotel overlooking the River Cere.Previous clients have remarked on the high quality of the food.
Night 5:Autoire. A pleasant old auberge with modernized bedrooms in the center of thischarming old village, dominated by cliffs and a waterfall.
Night 5(alternative): Loubressac. A recently modernised hotel (** star) in the middleof the very pretty village and opposite the 'village green.' The XVc fortifiedvillage is situated at a height of 380m on the edge of a scarp and there aresplendid views over the valley to the north.
Night 6:Carennac. An elegant family-run hotel (** Star) with swimming pool inthe center of this lovely and historic little village on the banks of theDordogne. Excellent restaurant with a good local reputation.
Night 7:Creysse. Another family run hotel (**Star) with pool in the center of thisdelightful village. A stream flows beneath the hotel and its terrace.
|
ITINERARY |
|
Day 1: Arrive at the tiny village of Sarrazac, deep in a green valley on the edge of the Causse de Martel. Day 2: Sarrazac to Meyssac. 17km/9mi. Near the half-way point is the picturesque village of Turenne, with its famous castle towering over the surrounding countryside. You reach Collonges during the afternoon at a time when you are unlikely to be the only visitors. The dark red sandstone of which the many fine buildings are made is still a stunning sight, as you approach it in the afternoon. We use a comfortable hotel of the same attractive stone in nearby Meyssac or occasionally a Chambre d’Hote in quiet countryside just South of Collonges. Day 3: Meyssac to Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne 22km/14mi. Over undulating country to Curemonte, a mediaeval village where the writer Colette once lived. The day ends with a long descent of an ancient cobbled mule-track leading into Beaulieu. Don't miss the abbey church with its magnificent doorway. A footbridge links Beaulieu with the further bank of the Dordogne, where there are tennis courts and a swimming pool. Day 4: Beaulieu to Port de Gagnac, 17km/11mi. Great views as you climb out of the Dordogne Valley on the GR 480. From the crest the route descends through splendid mixed woodland (chestnut, oak, conifers) and past a trout farm to the valley of the River Cere. One or two short sections of the days walk are little frequented and may be rather overgrown in summer. The village of Gagnac (1.5km/9mi) is worth a visit, particularly if you are lucky enough to find the church open; we include details of the key-holder in the route notes. Day 5: Port de Gagnac to Autoire, 15km/9mi. A walk through mixed farming country and the one serious wine-growing district on the tour (Glanes). It is a surprise to stumble upon the dramatic red bulk of Castelnau Castle, built on a shoulder of red ironstone. The village of Autoire and its ‘gentilhommieres’ are unforgettable. Occasionally the day continues to Loubressac (20km/12mi). Day 6: Autoire to Carennac 15km(9mi)/19km(12mi). After a steep ascent past the limestone crags of the Cirque d'Autoire the next hour is spent crossing a typical causse plateau of oak scrub and dry-stone walls to the village of Loubressac with its broad panorama. The shorter option then follows the edge of the scarp past the ruined castle at Taillefer to Carennac. The longer option diverts to take in the Gouffre de Padirac; a huge hole in the limestone plateau opens into a most interesting cave system incorporating a 1km/0.6mi trip on an underground river. Around the Gouffre is more typical karst landscape of the limestone Causses. The day ends with a sharp descent to Carennac on the banks of the Dordogne. Day 7: Carennac to Creysse. 20km/12mi. A walk along the heights, with views over the Dordogne river, then close below the limestone cliffs overhanging the tiny village of Gluges, before walking across farmland to the ancient village of Creysse, clustered around a little rocky hill crowned by an ancient twin-aisled church. Day 8: Departure from Creysse. A taxi ride to the train station at St Denis-les-Martel (15km/9mi), from where there are regular trains north to Brive, and less frequently south to Toulouse (with change of trains at Capdenac). Alternatively taxi to Souillac train station, which is on the main Brive-Toulouse line. |