Most of the much-visited Périgord Noir (Black Périgord) is located between the Vézère River and the Dordogne River.

This is the east side of the Dordogne Département, although it does stretch further north and south of these rivers and is arguably the most beautiful of the Périgords.

The name Black Périgord derives from the fact that much of the territory is covered with dark trees such as oak, chestnut and pine.

History and prehistory

There are a great many attractions here including splendid towns like Sarlat and charming villages like St Geniès. Moreover, the area boasts several medieval castles such as Beynac. The rivers provide plenty of scope for recreation and of course it is this part of the Dordogne which attracted early man many thousands of years ago to the Grotte de Lascaux and Les Eyzies.