Dordogne and the Périgord in 3 days

The capital of the Périgord Noir, a maze of medieval lanes and golden-stone Renaissance mansions, taken over by a food market every Saturday.

Paddle past the castles of Castelnaud and Beynac and under La Roque-Gageac, with the current doing most of the work and pebble beaches for picnics.

Golden houses stacked between cliff and river below a fort cut into the rock, with palms and banana plants thriving in its sheltered microclimate.

Some 150,000 hand-clipped box shrubs on a rocky spur, with paths leading to a viewpoint 130 metres above the Dordogne.

One of the best-preserved fortresses in the Périgord, 150 metres above the river, once held by Richard the Lionheart.

A near-complete replica of the Lascaux cave, reproducing its roughly 20,000-year-old bulls and horses in the half-light, detail for detail.

A pilgrimage town clinging to a 150-metre cliff above the Alzou canyon; the Grand Staircase climbs to seven sanctuaries and a medieval Black Madonna.

Descend a vast shaft to 103 metres below ground, then glide by boat along a clear underground river to its giant stalactite.