Generous wooded hills, a serene river bordered by high cliffs golden, a preserved agricultural plain... The Vézère valley, in Périgord, is a haven of greenery where it is good to stroll.
Landscapes and Prehistory
If the slopes are densely wooded, in the alluvial plain, mixed crop-livestock agriculture has shaped a mosaic landscape, punctuated by walnut or chestnut trees, and where small plots, generally narrow, accommodate diversified and quality production. The habitat is traditionally dispersed. The main towns and the numerous hamlets often have a remarkable architectural character with slate roofs most impressive.
But the landscapes of the valley would be nothing without the beautiful limestone cliffs that run along the river from Sergeac et Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère to Limeuil. These cliffs, which can reach a hundred meters high, give the valley its identity. They bear traces of exceptional prehistoric and historical human occupation (prehistoric shelters, troglodyte dwellings from the Middle Ages) and hide in their heart a unique heritage in the world: the famous decorated caves, the best known of which is that of Lascaux in Montignac-Lascaux.
Labeled Grand Site de France
The Vézère valley, from Terrasson-Lavilledieu to Limeuil, holds a exceptional archaeological heritage of world renown. Through his ancestral occupation, man has always maintained a close link with the physical components of the valley, with its landscape in particular: this entire territory carries symbols and heritage values which give the Vézère valley a strong cultural dimension.
Since 2009, aware of the heritage they have in their hands, the communities have engaged in an operation Great Site of France.
On January 31, 2020, the Vézère valley became the 20th Grand Site in France and the second in New Aquitaine!
