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

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Périgord Vert is, as its name implies, a green landscape of fields and woods, which lies to the south of the large towns of Angoulême and Limousin. It is traversed by countless small rivers tumbling down from the nearby Massif Central to converge on the Dronne, which winds its way southwards to join the Dordogne at the town of Libourne near the large Atlantic port of Bordeaux. Less well known than its southern counterparts, Périgord Vert forms part of the Périgord-Limousin Regional Nature Park.

Périgord Blanc, so called because of the whiteness of its chalky limestone, is also north of the Dordogne river and is home to the department’s capital, Périgueux. Founded by the Gauls in a fertile valley on the River Isle, it became a prosperous town under the Romans, who called it Vesunna after its sacred spring. It continued to grow in importance over the centuries, and the historic centre boasts a five-domed cathedral and some fine Renaissance-style buildings, as well as traces of its Roman past. Its weekly market is renowned for its truffles, foie gras and strawberries.