Périgord Vert and Périgord Blanc
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The close green valleys of Périgord Vert are very rural, with plenty of space and few people, large tracts of woodland and uncultivated land. Less well known than the much-frequented Périgord Noir, its largely granite landscape bears a closer resemblance to the neighbouring Limousin than to the rest of the Périgord. It's partly for this reason that in 1998 the most northerly tip, together with the southwestern part of the Haute-Vienne, was designated as the Parc Naturel Régional Périgord-Limousin – to give it a sense of identity and draw attention to its natural assets, in an attempt to promote "green" tourism in this economically fragile and depopulated area.Périgueux, in the centre of Périgord Blanc, is interesting for its domed cathedral and its Roman remains, whose existence alone is a reminder of how long these parts have been civilized. But it's in the countryside that the region's finest monuments lie. One of the loveliest stretches is the valley of the Dronne, from Aubeterre on the Charente border through Brantôme to the marvellous Renaissance Château of Puyguilhem and the perfect village of St-Jean-de-Côle, and on to the great fortress of Excideuil and the Limousin border, where the scenery becomes higher and less cosy. Truffle-lovers might like to take a look at Sorges, where there's a marked path through truffle country and a museum to explain it all.
Pages in section ‘Perigord Vert & Blanc’: Perigueux, Brantome, Villars, Hautefort, Excideuil, Food and wine.
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