Horse Riding in the Dordogne

March 21, 2008

One of the best ways to see the Dordogne is without doubt on horse back.
Leave your car behind, and get onto some real horse power, leave the hussle of the tourists behind and get off the roads and onto the tracks.

1000’s of years ago, there was a very high abundance of wild horses in this region, this can be seen in so many cave paintings found in the region. “Man” has always had a good friendship with horses, and that is still the case today. 
For hundreds, if not thousands of years, our ancestors would travel to far away places to trade goods, for hundreds of years, and many generations, would follow the same tracks and trails to get to these often remote places. Along the way they would rest at places that have now become villages, hamlets and even towns. These tracks and trails quickly disappeared with the invention of the train and later the automobile.. lost and forgotten forever..
Well almost, we take you on a trip of a lifetime following these long forgotten trails.. Get on a horse and let us retrace the routes our ancestors took hundreds of years ago. 

Ferme de Fonluc is without doubt the place to be, for everyone interested in seeing the Dordogne and Vezere Valley on horse back. Situated in Les Eyzies de Tayac, in the hart of the Vezere Valley, and just 150m from the Vezere river and the famous clifs of Les Eyzies that is home to many prehistoric dwellings and the famous “Grand Roc”

Ferme de Fonluc have a range of unforgettable horse trips and over night tours, suitable for all ages.

For more information please visit their website : www.fonluc.com  

Written by admin · Filed Under Activities 

Dordogne Design, Putting Dordogne on the web.

March 18, 2008

Dordogne Design, putting Dordogne on the web.

We specialize in web sites for the Dordogne region. We know how extremely difficult it is to get your name or business onto the search engines. We do not just design web sites, we help you get your site seen by potential customers from around the world.

Designing a web site is the easiest part, getting people to find your site amongst the more than 92 Billion!! (indexed by google in 2006) sites can be tricky and very expensive.
I have designed more than 20 Dordogne related sites to help advertise your web site after it has been launched.

Let Dordogne Design put you on the web, can you afford not to?

Here are some stats that show the importance of a web site:

Key facts and figures from 1 March 2007

  • Over 3.1 million tourists
  • Average length of stay (all accommodation): 10 days
  • Representing almost 31 million nights’ accommodation
  • A direct turnover of at least 980 million euros
  • Over 6,000 permanent jobs in tourism (6900 in July & Aug.)
  • Tourism in the Dordogne represents over 31% of the local economy

More facts and figures.

  • 77% booked part of their vacation online. (airline, ferry, rental car etc)
  • 93% of visitors researched the area online before visiting.
  • 71 % of visitors booked accommodation online

5 years ago, these figures would have all been below 30%, and 10 years ago they would have all been below 3%, however, in 3 year time they will ALL be above 90%

Dordogne Design

These figures show the importance of a web site, and no one can design, host, advertize and optimize your dordogne related site better than Dordogne Design .
Dordogne Design, owned by de Paulus who knows how to put the Dordogne and your site / buisness on the web.
With more than 20 Dordogne related web sites that are already high on the mayor Search Engines list are ready to advertise your site.
Advertising a site designed by Dordogne Design on all our parent sites is FREE, saving you hundreds of Euro’s, and focusing only on the Dordogne which will attract only people that are searching for Dordogne related sites.

Dordogne Design does not design web sites for a living, which means the prices are as low as you will ever find, and your web site is a de Paulus Project, which means he will always be there for you whenever you need help or advice.
Get in touch with Dordogne Design and see what they can do for you… Can you afford not to?

Written by admin · Filed Under Dordogne Related Services 

Périgueux

March 7, 2008

Périgueux , city (2005 pop. 40,848), capital of Dordogne dept., SW France

Founded more than 2,000 years ago, Périgueux, préfecture or capital city of the Dordogne, is a gracious blend of ancient and modern.

The history of the city of Périgueux began when four Celtic tribes merged to become the Petrucores. They settled on the hills overlooking the river (l’Isle) until they were overpowered by the Romans.
The Gallo‑Roman remains show how magnificent the town would have been in the 1st and 2nd centuries, the Romans having built in the valley Vesunna, an imposing city (between 15 and 20000 inhabitants), which, in the 3rd century, was enclosed by a defensive surrounding wall.
In the 4th century, Vesunna which was but a small town was named after its people “Civitas Petrocoriorum”. The town was no longer prosperous during the Dark Ages. In the 9th century, it withstood the attacks of the Normans several times thanks to its thick defensive surrounding wall.
From the 10th century on, the birth of another town gave new impetus to the valley. As a matter of fact, a chapel and a monastery were built outside the walls were the tomb of the apostle of the Périgord, whose name was Saint-Front, had been erected and which attracted a lot of pilgrims.

Merchants, artisans who wanted to get rich traded with the clerics and travellers and settled down nearby. This population gave birth to the “Bourg du Puy Saint-Front”. In the 13th century, the new town expanded and was surrounded by a wall in a U-shape, a 1.6 km long with 28 towers and 12 gates.
In 1240, in the reign of Saint-Louis, the City and the “Bourg” met and formed one city called Périgueux. For centuries, Périgueux, protected by its defensive wall, remained unchanged. But from the 18th century on, the city began developing. Beyond the wall a modern city appeared and in 1790 it became the “préfecture” of the “département de la Dordogne”.
In the 19th century, the number of inhabitants increased a lot and the city spread along the river Isle as it used to be in the 2nd century. But it is only when the rail went through Périgueux in 1856 that the city really expanded (5700 inhabitants in 1801, 13000 inhabitants in 1850, 31300 in 1890).

The main shopping precinct is a warren of cobbled alleys lined with boutiques, summer buskers and magnificent Renaissance houses, perhaps the most spectacularly ornate being the Maison du Pâtissier on the corner of the Place Saint-Louis. This pedestrian area, with its shady squares and café terraces, is a marvellous venue for open air events like the regular summer night markets, the international mime festival, Mimos, or the free evening jazz concerts, Macadam Jazz, in July and August, as well as more traditional events such as the marché au gras (fattened duck and goose products) during the winter months.

The 18th-century – now administrative – part of the city around the Place Tourny is largely built in white stone, and the saltiest events here are the frequent pétanque (local bowls) tournaments which occupy the elderly – and a large part of precious parking space on the Tourny carpark.
Modern architecture includes the splendid new Archives, opposite the Tour Mataguerre, the Bourse du Travail and the greenhouse-like Lycée Jay-de-Beaufort, successfully adjoining the beautiful Renaissance ruins of the Château Barrière. Near here are the Roman Jardins des Arènes, the entrances to the arena a gloomy reminder of gladiators’ torments. Now it is a landscaped park, a shady haven from the streets, with a children’s paddling pool and playground.

Written by admin · Filed Under Towns & Villages 

Fishing the Dordogne rivers

March 6, 2008

Carp fishing, cat fishing, trout, and even salmon and let’s not not forget course and pike fishing are just some of the fishing  that you can enjoy in the Dordogne.
Some places cater for the dedicated angler, whilst others are more for a family fishing holiday with accommodation supplied, and with so many types of fishing holidays available, do spend time looking around.

If you like trout fishing, do think ahead as you would need to book from around the middle to end of March up until around the first week of September, as this is only time you are allowed to fish for trout in France.

In certain areas of France, salmon fishing is prohibited all year, so it is always best to check on the area you are going, prior to thinking that you will be able to get a licence for fly fishing, just like that.

And you must have a fishing licence to fish in rivers, streams and lakes throughout Dordogne unless these are privately owned or booked as a fishing holiday with all holiday licence requirements included.

A fishing licence can usually be obtained from the local fishing tackle shop or alternatively from the local bar or tabac.

There are numerous different regulations as to what type of fish you can catch, when you are allowed to catch certain species of fish and what equipment you are allowed to fish with.

For some, this can be a daunting prospect, especially if you are not fluent in French, and although in some areas it will be easier than others to organise your fishing venue and licence, it is often easier to pre-organise a fishing holiday.

When it comes to catfish and carp fishing, you can get a licence to do this in the local rivers, but the majority of people will want to opt for a carp fishing holiday on a dedicated lake.  And when you go to a dedicated lake for carp fishing, cat fishing, etc, then you will not have to worry about getting your own individual licence as this will already have either been sorted out by the travel agency or the owner under their regulations. 

Also, night fishing is prohibited in a lot of places in the Dordogne, but when on a private fishing lake, or if with the correct licence on certain waters, this can be allowed.  If not, then you can only fish half hour after sunrise to half hour before sunset.

But did you realise that there are some fish that have been classified as ‘vermin’ and must not be put back into the water?  In fact, they must not be transported and must be killed, otherwise you could end up with a fine!  This is yet another reason why it is sometimes best to arrange your fishing holiday or excursions prior to arriving in the Dordogne !

For an excellent Fishing holiday in the Dordogne we highly reccommend Sweet Chestnut Lake Fishing holidays. click here for more info

Written by admin · Filed Under Activities