Discover Dordogne
Footloose- 7 Nights/8 Days
This gentle walk starts in Beaulieu, whose origins date back to the 9th century.
It explores the area south of the town, which is dotted with idyllic villages of turreted mansions and half-timbered houses with brown-tiled roofs, among them Autoire, Loubressac and Carennac, all of which you visit. Walks are leisurely, with plenty of time for lazy picnics
Itinerary and Highlights
- Day 1 Arrive Beaulieu, for two nights.
- Day 2 Explore ancient streets lined with 14th and 15th-century houses and the famed Romanesque church of historic Beaulieu, one of the most attractive medieval towns on the Dordogne. Short walk upstream through meadows, copses and rolling hills scattered with stone farmhouses. (7km, 2.5hrs)
- Day 3 Cross the Dordogne River and walk an often shady, path that links tiny rural hamlets, across traditional farmland, through woodland and forest to reach the village of Port de Gagnac and the Auberge du Vieux Port (10km, 2.5hrs)
- Day 4 A highlight today is one of France’s most spectacular medieval fortifications, the magnificent Château de Castelnau, on a promontory overlooking four valleys and three rivers. Your destination is Loubressac, a tiny, fortified village perched high on the hillside, with a 15thC manor house and views back towards the Château. (18km, 5.5hrs)
- Day 5 There are 2 options today. Cross a wild and uninhabited landscape to visit the vast caverns of the Gouffre de Padirac cave systems which extend for some 20 km, with some caverns 100 metres high. Alternatively, descend by a dramatic route through a canyon to the picturesque village of Autoire. (9km, 2.5hrs or 10km, 4hrs)
- Day 6 Transfer to the pretty village of Carennac, with its turreted manor houses that cluster round the ruined priory. Continue through charming remote countryside, along footpaths lined by dry stone walls towards the towers of Martel. (16km, 4.5hrs)
- Day 7 Day free to relax by the swimming pool or enjoy a circuit southwards to the riverside village of Creysse. You can return via pretty Martel. (13km, 3hrs)
- Day 8 Walking holiday arrangements end after breakfast
- Day 9
- Day 10
- Day 11
- Day 12
- Day 13
- Day 14
- Day 15
- Day 16
- Day 17
- Day 18
- Day 19
- Day 20
Extension to – – 0 Nights/0 Days
Itinerary and Highlights
- Day
- Day
- Day
- Day
- Day
- Day
- Day
- Day
- Day
- Day
Rural landscape in Dordogne, France