Christophe, a series of river-carved terraces, which has provided shelter for 55,000 years. Lascaux’s main caverns are more than a football field long, and the hundreds of animal figures (horses, deer, bison, etc.), painted high up on walls and ceilings, are monumental. On my first visit I was immediately swept away by the grandeur. You’ll soon forget you’re looking at a replica.ĭescriptions of the caves’ impressiveness sound like overstatement until you see them in person. Thankfully, the original caves were closed to the public, and experts perfectly recreated the paintings with the same dyes, tools, and techniques used to make the originals. In just 15 years, the precious art deteriorated more than during the 15,000 previous. Discovered accidentally in 1940 by four kids and their dog, the Lascaux caves quickly degenerated, as more than a million people climbed through this prehistoric wonderland. The most famous paintings are at Lascaux. Long before Stonehenge and before the Egyptian pyramids, back when mammoths and saber-toothed cats still roamed the earth, prehistoric people painted deep inside these caves. The Dordogne’s limestone cliffs - honeycombed with painted caves - are unique on this planet. To step back even farther in time, visit one of the area’s prehistoric caves. After some dicey negotiations with military types much stronger than him, the local lord would gather his subjects and declare either, “Now you are French” or “Now you are English … deal with it.” From that ledge, I reenacted a goofy little speech, which I imagine happened many times during the Hundred Years’ War, fought between the French and English (1337 to 1453). The attendant let me unlock a huge plank door that opened up a treacherous little balcony high above the castle grounds. In the knights’ mess hall, it felt as if the cooks had just taken a break. The castle was lit by little oil lamps - puddles of light giving the spiral staircase a visual rhythm. It was like stepping back into medieval times. And the noble-lady of the castle herself - land rich but, apparently, cash poor - sold me a ticket to enter and prowl around. Pulling my canoe up in Beynac, I hiked up to the brooding, cliff-clinging château. On one particularly memorable Dordogne day, I enjoyed a perfect storm of travel thrills. Two of the most picturesque are La Roque-Gageac, a strong contender for “cutest town in France,” and Beynac, a well-preserved medieval village that winds like a sepia-tone film set from the river to the castle above. There’s always a place to stow the canoe, and plenty of welcoming villages. Delights are revealed around each bend, and you can pop ashore whenever you like. I can’t think of a more relaxing way to enjoy great scenery while getting some exercise. When I’m here, one of my rituals is exploring the riverside castles and villages via canoe. Its highlights include rock-sculpted villages, prehistoric cave paintings, fertile farms surrounding I-should-retire-here cottages, floats along the river and a local cuisine worth loosening your belt for. Whether young or old, visitors to the Dordogne are easily charmed by its unforgettable blend of man-made and natural beauty. I’d take her for a lazy canoe ride down the river, then cap the day with a great riverside meal - letting her enjoy goose liver (explaining what it was later) with the finest glass of French red wine she’s ever had. A reader once asked me if I were to bring a spry, 73-year-old grandmother to Europe, where would I go? My response: France’s Dordogne River Valley.
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