Cave Paintings, Paddling, and History in Dordogne, France

Day 1: We begin our trip with a welcome dinner in the town of Sarlat-la-Canéda which can be reached by train from Paris or Bordeaux.

Day 2: We meet our drivers who will bring us to Lascaux 4, a full-size replica of the famous Lascaux cave, which is located nearby but closed to the public. The Neolithic polychrome paintings of bison, horses, and other animals were created over 15,000 years ago. We are then brought to the beautiful village of Sarlat for the night. We return to and have a tour of the beautiful village of Sarlat.

Day 3: Our drivers will take us to the small medieval village of Carennac, officially classified as one of the most beautiful villages in France. A local guide will give us a tour of the village, which contains a cloister that dates back to the 11th century. We will then take our first kayak trip along the Dordogne River, leaving us back at Carennac for an evening at a typical small, family-owned hostellerie. 

Day 4: We travel to the Gouffre de Padirac, a giant sinkhole that leads to a limestone cave system. Here we will explore the caves by foot and a short boat ride on a subterranean river. Then we make a pilgrimage to Rocamadour, a medieval village and church built into a cliff. Today, as in the past, people come from miles around to visit the sacred site, which houses the remains of St. Amadour and the venerated Black Madonna statue. We spend the night in Rocamadour.

Day 5: Today we return for a longer paddle on the Dordogne River. We start in Grolejac and paddle 10 miles along the Dordogne River to La Roque Gageac, a picture-postcard of a town nestled into the limestone cliff above the river. Our luggage will be waiting for us at a lovely hotel overlooking the river. Free time can be spent investigating the tropical gardens of the town, made possible by the protection of the cliffs.

Day 6: We get back into our canoes and kayaks and proceed two miles down the river. Our first scheduled stop is Castelnaud-la-Chapelle Castle, held by the English during the Hundred Years’ War. After visiting the castle with its war museum, we get back into our boats and paddle another two miles downriver to the rival French castle, located above the town of Beynac-et Cazenac. We can visit the imposing castle, Chateau de Beynac, and afterward we will be transported back to La Roque Gageac. Both castles are located on the top of hills, so both require steep hikes.

Day 7: Our drivers will take us to Les Eyzies de Tayac, in the beautiful Vezere Valley -- a UNESCO World Heritage site with some of the most important archaeologic finds of the Upper and Middle Paleolithic periods. It was in Les Eyzies that the original Cro-Magnon fossil skull was discovered. First we will have a tour of the Musee National de la Prehistoire (National Prehistory Museum). We plan to visit Font-de-Gaume cave with its polychrome animal drawings and a second Neolithic cave depending upon availability. We spend the night in Les Eyzies.

Day 8: Our kayak company will transport us up the Vezere River to La Roque Saint Christophe. This natural limestone cavity was occupied during prehistoric times and was eventually modified to become a fortified medieval city. It continued to be occupied up to the early Renaissance. Over a kilometer long, it is the largest troglodytic cliff in Europe. After our visit to La Roque Saint Christophe, we get in our canoes and kayaks, and paddle eight miles back to Les Eyzies. 

Day 9: Our drivers bring us to the beautiful medieval town of Saint-Cirq Lapopie. We will have the opportunity to visit the Grotte de Pech Merle, one of the most exciting cave art sites still open to the public. Days 9 and 10 may be reversed, depending upon the availability of the English-language tour of Pech Merle. We spend the night at a hotel perched above the Cele River in the town of Cabrerets. 

Day 10: We begin the day with a short paddle down the Cele River. Finally, we head toward the town of Cahors, stopping at a vineyard along the way, where we may be tempted to sample the local Malbec. Our farewell dinner is in the town of Cahors.

Day 11: After breakfast the trip ends with a short walk to the Cahors train station.

Getting There

The easiest plan is to fly to Paris, spend a night in the city, and then take a train from Paris to Sarlat, departing from the Paris Austerlitz train station and changing trains in Bordeaux.  

We finish in the town of Cahors, which has frequent train service.

Please do not make non-refundable travel arrangements until notified to do so by the trip leader.

Accommodations and Food

Our shared accommodations will be at small hotels with private baths, located in the center of towns. Same-gender roommates will be assigned to those traveling alone. The trip price includes all breakfasts, lunches, and all dinners. Wine and beer are not included. Our lunch may be a bag lunch, a restaurant lunch, or food purchased at local markets for picnics along the way. Dinners will be provided at our hotels at nearby restaurants. Local specialties include duck, goat cheese, truffles, walnuts, cassoulet, fois gras, and, of course, wine. Vegetarian options are available. If you have any questions or concerns about accommodations, please ask the leader before signing up for the trip.

Trip Difficulty

The three rivers that we will be canoeing or kayaking are very gentle and appropriate for a beginner, but it is recommended that participants have some experience in a canoe or kayak before this trip. A safety vest is provided, but it is important that all participants are competent swimmers. There will be short but steep hikes to the castles, and a longer hike along a path with uneven footing.

Equipment and Clothing

We can hope for sunshine, but must prepare for rain. A good quality raincoat will be invaluable should we be on the river during a rainstorm. Water shoes are best for the rivers and comfortable walking shoes are a must for the rest of the trip. The canoe agency will provide a large waterproof container, but having a smaller easily accessible dry bag is very convenient. The leader will provide a more detailed gear list at a later time.

References

History:

• Charles River Editors, The Hundred Years War: The History of Europe’s Most Famous War of the Middle Ages. This is a brief synopsis, but a great way to get an overview of an amazing conflict. 
• Desdemaines-Hugon, Christine, Stepping-Stones: A Journey through the Ice Age Caves.
• Bahrami, Beebe, Café Neanderthal.

Fiction:

• Walker, Martin, Bruno, Chief of Police: A Novel of the French Countryside. This is a fun, light series of murder mysteries set in the Dordogne.

Guides:

• The Rough Guides, Dordogne and the Lot.
• Facaros, Dana, The Dordogne, Lot and Bordeaux.
• DK Eyewitness Travel Guide, Dordogne, Bordeaux & the Southwest Coast.

Conservation

Like all countries around the world, France is feeling the effects of climate change. Unlike some countries, however, it has committed itself to reducing its carbon footprint and has succeeded in meeting Kyoto Protocol guidelines. It has done so by building nuclear power reactors, a solution that brings its own set of problems. France is now attempting to decrease energy consumption and replace some of its nuclear power with wind, solar, biomass, and small hydro power. It will be interesting to see how well their plans work.

There is a unique environmental problem in the area we are visiting. How can we view Neolithic cave art without destroying it? Lascaux cave, with its 17,300-year-old paintings, was first opened to the public after WWII, but had to be closed in 1963 because CO2, humidity, lights, heat, and the introduction of lichen and mold spores damaged the art. Even the replica, Lascaux II, has been degraded by mold infestation. Some caves, such as Font-de-Gaume, have better natural ventilation, which leads us to believe they can accommodate some visitation without degradation. Can we prevent further damage to these priceless artifacts, or should the public be denied entrance?

Evacuation and Travel Insurance

The Sierra Club provides evacuation insurance to all participants on international trips. Since this coverage does not include any trip cancellation or interruption insurance, we suggest you purchase another policy separately to provide coverage for your trip and other travel costs. This policy also does not cover pre-trip and post-trip travel. Please note the evacuation insurance provided does not cover claims resulting from any pre-existing condition that occurs within 60 days of the trip departure. If you have specific questions about this exclusion, please review the insurance brochure. For information on purchasing a separate policy, please see our travel insurance page.