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The Dordogne is a destination filled with history and cultural riches for many French, and for families with children of all ages.

This land of flowing, winding rivers, forested hills, sweeping farms, deep limestone caves, and medieval cliffside villages and castles in the southwest has a many layered history, from its prehistoric cave art to its array of medieval castles.

Understated Family Pleasures

Families who choose to travel to the Dordogne are richly rewarded with plentiful opportunities for historical and cultural sightseeing as well as excellent walking, bicycling, canoeing and other recreational pursuits. And, of course, along the way the culinary adventure is superb as well.

The beauty of the Dordogne is immense, but so understated; no spectacular mountain precipices here, nor any endless coastlines with frothing seas and magnificent dunes. Instead, the Dordogne offers sparkling and remarkably fast-flowing rivers as they very peacefully coexist with patchwork fields, castles and villages that could re-inspire the medieval lines of Playmobil and Lego.

During days spent wandering by sunflower fields, through walnut groves and on forays to taste truffles and foie gras, there is an insistent and seductive softness to the land and its fragrant breezes. It is a magical land: old and gentle, with soft, cavernous hills of limestone and sandy soil where everything grows. In short, living feels easy in the Dordogne.

So, with land like a caress and food fit for gods, why bother to take the kids, you ask? That's a legitimate question. The answer lies in the region's history, because while the scenery may not be jaw-dropping, the historical sites most certainly are. Giving kids a dose of history while on vacation can seem like pedaling a tandem bike up a steep hill while the parent does most of the work. But learning history in the Dordogne is more like coasting downhill. And those pseudo-sophisticated youngsters who have learned to roll their eyeballs at the mere mention of the term 'museum' can mostly relax: there are few in this region. (If anything, teens can save the rolling eyes for Romanesque church interiors.)

The two most prominent eras of the Dordogne's past are its prehistoric age, as evidenced through cave painting and other archeological finds, and the medieval Hundred Years War (1337-1453.) Not only do these eras most lend themselves to cultural touring, but they are also where France's Ministry of Culture devotes its resources in the region.