Читать книгу Walking in the Dordogne. 35 walking routes in the Dordogne - Sarlat, Bergerac, Lalinde and Souillac онлайн

20 страница из 58

Although agricultural production, especially of wine, tobacco and walnuts, continued to be important in the years following the war, more and more small farmers left the area, and buildings fell into disrepair. But this was not to last, for in the 1960s André Malraux, minister of culture, introduced an act to preserve historic monuments. He knew the Dordogne well, and chose Sarlat as the first town to benefit from this. More than 50 of the town’s buildings were carefully restored, followed by those in other towns and villages. At the same time the many châteaux and prehistoric sites were gradually opened to the public, and the first tourists began to arrive.

And this is when the British rediscovered the Dordogne, attracted by its mild climate and beautiful countryside, and by the slow pace of life. They bought up crumbling farms, manors and mills to renovate, seeing the area as an idyllic – and inexpensive – place to retire to, or for a second home to visit on extended holidays. The Dutch and the French themselves soon followed, and by the end of the century tourism had become a major industry.