Lo Gorissado

Explores hereabouts have to start with a trip to the medieval town of Sarlat 15 minutes’ drive away… it’s a real stunner, with pretty buildings and winding streets in its Old Town, as well as an indoor market, a lofty cathedral, the lovely Marqueyssac gardens and fab views from the glass elevator at the Manoir de Gisson museum. If all that whets appetites for classic French architecture, the famous châteaux in the neighbourhood should provide some satisfaction: the clifftop fortress that is Château de Beynac is 15 minutes away, as are the siege machines, arms and armour on display at Castelnaud-la-Chapelle, and it’s 20 minutes to the aviary of exotic birds at Château des Milandes, the former home of dancer Josephine Baker. From palaces of the gentry to palaces of nature: the site’s within half an hour of Font-de-Gaume and the Lascaux caves, putting guests within easy reach of impressive geology and (arguably) even more impressive prehistoric cave paintings. The National Museum of Prehistory is 20 minutes away too, if putting both in context appeals. That’s above and below the earth’s surface then, so what about exploring the waters? The Aquarium de Périgord Noir is half an hour from base, and has fish feedings, diving and an alligator ranch to keep even the most avid zoologists busy.