Mountain biking in the heart of the villages of Lot and Dordogne

It is via a greenway in the forest that you get out of Sarlat, gradually bringing you back along the Dordogne, where numerous invitations to swim punctuate the route (the good spots are not always easy to find but are indicated in the roadbook).

Then you come across the charming village of Souillac, whose imposing Romanesque abbey church houses a beautiful interior. Further on, you have the opportunity to explore the Lacave caves, a veritable underground labyrinth with exceptional mineral heritage.

A beautiful gravel path then gradually ascends the wild Ouysse valley, until you come face to face with the ancient fortified mill of Cougnaguet, whose authentic and colossal millstone still turns today, powered by the water. As for its arrow slits, they protected it from highway robbers!

Then, a few kilometers further on, you see the silhouette of what seems to be an imaginary city… Rocamadour! The natural setting in which this emblematic stop on the pilgrimage to Compostela and listed as a UNESCO is nestled is breathtaking: the village and the religious sanctuaries that overlook it seem suspended from the high cliff of 150 m.

In the Notre-Dame chapel, you will not encounter Father Igor (...) but the mysterious Black Virgin, whose supposed miracles still attract thousands of pilgrims every year.

Your journey begins on the desolate lands of the Causse de Gramat. The vegetation on this rocky plateau is indeed sparse, creating a unique landscape where dry stone walls confirm that you are now in the Massif Central. Numerous small shepherd's paths allow you to wind your way across the Causse. A slight detour leads to a farm where the producer sells his delicious Rocamadour goat cheese.

Further on, an immense cavity, over 100 m deep, pierces the rock: you are now at the renowned Padirac chasm. While it is impossible to say when the vault of the cave that it exposed collapsed, a magnificent underground river now allows visitors to plunge (literally) safely to the bottom of the caves, aboard a small boat, revealing all the splendor of its karst formations.

Further on, you descend from the limestone plateau towards the listed village of Autoire, beautifully nestled at the bottom of a rocky cirque. From the bottom of the cirque, a walk through the forest leads to the magnificent Autoire waterfall.

Next, the route makes another short detour to the Château de Castelnau-Bretenoux, which, perched on its promontory, is one of the finest examples of medieval military architecture. Finally, you arrive at the hilltop village of Loubressac – also listed among the most beautiful in the country.

After a few kilometers on a relatively flat country road, a short detour leads to the ruins of Taillefer, where you can enjoy a breathtaking panoramic view overlooking the surrounding valleys. The road then descends to the charming riverside village of Carennac (a listed historical monument), located on the banks of the Dordogne River. You then cross the river and wander through verdant countryside. Along the way, you pass through the village of Curemonte – also a listed historical monument.

As you head north, the landscape gradually opens up thanks to the numerous meadows that dot the region: you've arrived in Corrèze! Our English friends, however, prefer to call it "Cowrèze": and they're absolutely right, because the iconic Limousin cattle are an integral part of the landscape here – you're definitely in the Limousin! At the end of the day, you finally reach the superstar of the Most Beautiful Villages of France: Collonges-la-Rouge. With its red sandstone houses and slate roofs, this stunning and unique village was destined to be the birthplace of the association of the Most Beautiful Villages of France in 1982.

After a few kilometers, you reach the village of Turenne – also a listed site – after a good little climb, as it sits perched atop a hill… but cyclists didn't exist back then! Once the capital of its viscounty, it is now experiencing a renaissance thanks to tourism. Its white stone houses, narrow streets clinging to the hillside, and the castle that crowns the village's summit give it a great deal of character.

You then travel along idyllic country roads through typical Corrèze landscapes for much of the day, before crossing back into the Périgord region. You then reach the equally charming village of Saint-Amand-de-Coly. The village owes its renown to the monumental bell tower-porch of its 12th-century fortified abbey church, considered the most beautiful in the Périgord. At 30 meters high, the bell tower was once a remarkable feat of engineering.

Finally, you reach the Vézère valley at the medieval town of Montignac.

Before leaving Montignac, visit the internationally famous Lascaux IV caves, as moving as it is captivating, and will allow you to discover the fascinating parietal frescoes, representing animals of the time, dating back more than 15,000 years! Whether you find them cute or grotesque, these grotesque drawings painted by our Cro-Magnon ancestors are of inestimable value.

What follows is a very relaxing day along the Vézère valley, leaving you time to indulge in several visits along the way and enjoy the river.

Also known as the Valley of Prehistory, the Vézère Valley is home to the troglodyte cliff of La-Roque-Saint-Christophe, and the troglodyte site of La Madeleine. These places once provided excellent natural refuge, whether during Viking raids, the Hundred Years' War, or the Wars of Religion.

Other possible stops include the Château de Losse overlooking the Vézère River, the fortified house of Reignac (a cliffside castle!), and the peaceful village of Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère. In the late afternoon, a few kilometers from Les Eyzies, you can also visit the Granges Goose Farm, which produces its own foie gras.

Then you arrive in Les Eyzies… a village which, despite its modest size, is nonetheless the world capital of prehistory. Its destiny changed dramatically when Cro-Magnon man was discovered there in 1868.

You leave the Vézère Valley behind and travel about ten kilometers further to reach the renowned Dordogne Valley. You soon arrive in its most famous section: the Valley of the Five Castles. The first castle you'll come across is the Château de Milandes, which was once home to the singer and dancer Josephine Baker and her twelve adopted children! A fascinating visit!

Just a few kilometers further on, you'll find yourself cycling through the former no man's land between the castles of Beynac and Castelnaud, which, each on its side of the river, face each other and clashed repeatedly during the Hundred Years' War between the French and English. Regardless of your nationality, visiting these fortified castles should be considerably more peaceful today, so go for it!

Don't miss a visit to the incredibly photogenic hanging gardens of Marqueyssac Castle, home to over 150,000 hand-trimmed boxwood shrubs! As a bonus, enjoy a breathtaking panoramic view of the valley and its castles. This stretch of the Dordogne also boasts no fewer than four villages listed among the most beautiful villages in France: Castelnaud, Beynac, La Roque-Gageac, and Domme! With their yellow stone facades and often slate roofs, they are full of character.

At the end of the day, you finally reach Sarlat-la-Canéda again... the loop is complete!

Your Périgord odyssey ends after breakfast.