You'll also hear the term referred to in reference to food, and the cuisine of Périgord, characterized by truffles, foie gras, and other goose and duck products, is world renowned. Perigueux - Bergerac - Perigord IGN TOP100 153. Périgueux, the administrative center of the Dordogne département, is in the Périgord Blanc. Périgord BlancĪnd the central Périgord Blanc, or White Périgord, is named for the abundance of white limestone in the area. The Périgord Vert, or Green Périgord, is the northwestern part of Périgord, known for its lush green fields and valleys and beautiful gardens.

The Périgord Pourpre ( Purple Périgord), so named because of the abundant wine from the area, is centered on Bergerac-et-Cazenac.

The Périgord Noir ( Black Périgord) is where most places of touristic interest are, including Sarlat-la-Canéda, the prehistoric caves of Lascaux, the medieval town of Domme, and other towns on the Dordogne and Vézère Rivers. Périgord/the Dordogne is/are also part of the région of France known as Nouvelle-Aquitaine, which also includes Bordeaux.Īnd to make things more complicated, the Périgord has been further divided into four 'colorful' regions: Although the département has been known as the Dordogne for years, many people still use the term Périgord. From Bordeaux the SNCF TGV network heads south east to take in Agen, Montauban and onwards to Toulouse ( orange routes on the map). What we commonly refer to as the Dordogne region is also referred to as Périgord, the historic name of the area-dating back centuries. Centered on the town of Sarlat and the river Dordogne, this is the classic Dordogne, with its limestone cliffs, castles (such as Beynac or Castelnaud) and picturesque villages such as Domme and Laroque Gageac, and also its world-famous caves with their stalagmites and stalactites, and in several cases prehistoric paintings. The Dordogne and Lot area is well connected to the France national Rail Network with High-Speed TGV trains from Paris arriving at Bordeaux to the west and Brive-la-Gaillarde to the north east. It can get confusing trying to keep the various régions of France straight, especially when some are known by more than one name. The Bordeaux wine region extends 60 miles around the city along three rivers the Gironde, Garonne and Dordogne of Europe’s largest estuary to create an ideal setting for wine making that is complemented by a temperate climate with a short winter and high levels of humidity courtesy of the nearby Atlantic Ocean.

Map of dordogne region