Dordogne River Valley Family Biking

Meet your Backroads Trip Leaders (the folks in Backroads Tshirts) at 1:15 p.m. at the Brive-la-Gaillarde train station. Please arrive dressed in your biking clothes and have your rain gear handy, or bring them in a small daypack so you can change before the ride.

Shuttle to St-Cyprien: 1½ hours

Biking Options:  

St-Cyprien Route: 13 Miles (320 elevation gain) 

Trémolat Loop: 21 Miles (550)

Welcome to the Dordogne! After meeting we shuttle to StCyprien, where your leaders fit your bike and give a brief talk on biking techniques and safety. We begin our week on two wheels heading west on picturesque country roads, passing walnut groves, tobacco fields and cozy villages. It’s a great introduction to this incredible part of France, a region steeped in charm, mystique and history.

Our home for the first two nights, Le Vieux Logis, is nestled in the beautiful village of Trémolat. Feel free to cool off in the hotel’s limestone pool or stroll through the gardens.

This evening we gather for a wine and juice reception before we enjoy some authentic Périgord cuisine as only Chef Pierre-Jean Duribreux can create at the hotel’s Bistro, Bistrot d’en face.

Lodging: Le Vieux Logis 

On our first full day of riding we explore the region considered by some anthropologists to be the “cradle of mankind,” thanks to its hefty concentration of prehistoric caves. Our undulating route begins with a climb to the tiny hamlet of Paunat. Protectively standing above the village is a beautiful church, which once was a place of refuge on the ancient Santiago de Compostela pilgrimage route. Enjoy broad views of green hills and the wooded river valley below. If you’d like additional miles before lunch, follow the hilly Saint-Léon-Sur-Vézère option to the tranquil town of Meyrals, where you can visit a local artist’s studio. Otherwise, pedal straight to Les Eyzies-de-Tayac, a quiet medieval village on the Vézère River that holds great archaeological importance.

Renowned worldwide for its wealth of prehistoric sites, Les Eyzies has earned the title of “The Capital of Prehistory.” Before delving into this treasure trove, choose a spot on the riverbank to enjoy your packed lunch. (A walk through the open-air market en route may tempt you to pick up a few delicacies!) Afterward we explore the town’s centerpiece, the Grotte de Font-de-Gaume, a grotto containing one of the finest collections of polychromatic cave paintings in the world. Our private tour reveals the secrets of this amazing place, where images of horses, bulls and an enormous frieze of bison adorn the walls.

After the tour, youngsters are off to Le Village Bournat to get a taste of rural life in 1900 and participate in crafts and trades practiced a century ago. Adults, meanwhile, climb back in the saddle and bike from Les Eyzies through rolling terrain and then down to the enchanting village of Sarlat, once the capital of the Périgord. Sarlat contains more medieval, Renaissance and 17th-century buildings than any other city in France. It’s also home to the beautiful Clos La Boëtie, where we spend the next two nights. Settle into your room or relax in the lovely gardens. Tonight we all feast on regional dishes at one of Sarlat’s reputable restaurants.

Lodging: Clos La Boëtie

Biking Options:

Le Bugue Route: 15 Miles* (700’ elevation gain)

Font-de-Gaume Route: 22 Miles* (820’)

Château de Beynac Route: 35 Miles (1,990’)

Sarlat Route: 48 Miles (1,770’)

Kids: Le Village Bournat Visit 2 Hours

*with shuttle

Ride into the heart of the Dordogne today starting with a leisurely climb to the bastide town of Domme, a medieval masterpiece of cobblestone streets, exquisite honey-colored homes and gardens of wisteria vines. This is your chance to savor your first towering view over the Dordogne Valley. Within the walls of this 12th-century hamlet, named one of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France (or “France’s Most Beautiful Villages”), you can visit the caves where villagers hid during the Hundred Years’ War. If you want to stay above ground, consider a stroll on Grand Rue, the town’s shopping street, and browse the exquisite handicrafts, as well as wine and food specialties of the Périgord.

From Domme, wind your way through the rolling hills of the Dordogne River Valley to the base of the fortified Château de Castelnaud, rising defiantly from a sheer cliff overlooking the water. Here we have a picnic lunch, then take a quick ride across a nearby bridge for a better view of the imposing Château de Beynac, a traditional French stronghold.

Kids are swept up for fun and games with the Kid Coordinator this afternoon. Meanwhile, adults are welcome to shuttle back to the hotel to relax or keep biking through an area known locally as the “golden triangle” of the Black Périgord— the heart of the Dordogne Valley. (The Black Périgord is named for the thick forests around Sarlat.)The rest of the route features ancient castles, including the famous Château des Milandes, once home to the American cabaret star Josephine Baker, and of course, plenty of hills.

This evening you and your family are on your own for dinner in charming Sarlat. Take in the dazzling architectural treasures as you choose from the inviting restaurants.

Lodging: Clos La Boëtie

Biking Options:

Domme Route: 15 Miles* (500’ elevation gain)

Castelnaud Route: 22 Miles* (760’)

Left Bank of the Dordogne Route: 36 Miles (1,370’)

Castle Country Loop: 44 Miles (1,840’)

*with shuttle

This morning is your chance to experience the largest and liveliest market in all of the Dordogne, right out the door in Sarlat. With its mind-boggling array of fruits, vegetables, truffles, meats and cheeses, the market is a great spot to pick up snacks and souvenirs. Stroll through the historic town center and discover its labyrinth of vaulted passageways, hidden squares, streets lined with stone houses, and shops and cafés. Then hop on your bike and pick up the peaceful bike path (once a railway line) just outside of town. It crosses the Dordogne and takes you past riverside orchards and walnut trees. For lunch, we’re welcomed into a local home where we savor a tasty home-cooked meal. Bon appétit!

Later, youngsters are off to a Forêt des Ecureuils (ropes course) for a new adventure. Adults meanwhile can venture farther south on two wheels to the bustling town of Gourdon, or simply bike the Dordogne Route to our delightful hotel. Le Pont de l’Ouysse, nestled between a peaceful river and an impressive cliff, features a heated outdoor swimming pool and hot tub—great for soothing those cycling muscles! Kids are treated to a pétanque lesson this evening followed by their own special meal in a nearby village. Adults stay closer to home, sitting down for dinner in our hotel’s Michelin-starred restaurant.

Lodging: Le Pont de l’Ouysse

Biking Options:

Cantou Route: 13 Miles* (500’ elevation gain)

Dordogne Route: 28 Miles (1,290’)

Lacave Route: 40 Miles (1,600’)

Gourdon Route: 50 Miles (1,700’)

Kids: Forêt des Ecureuils 2 Hours

*with shuttle

Today’s ride takes us from the Dordogne River Valley to Rocamadour, an impressive 12th-century village stacked on rugged cliffs above the Alzou Canyon. Situated on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, this gravitydefying town maintains a mystical charm. En route we visit the  fortified 13th-century Moulin de Cougnaguet, a mill set in a gorgeous limestone canyon cut by the Ouysse River. Here  Hubert, a local guide and sheep farmer, gives us a private tour and if we’re lucky, offers us a taste of his homemade plum liqueur. From the mill, it’s a gradual climb to the Rocamadour  plateau, where we gather for a picnic lunch à la Backroads.

Afterward, check out Rocamadour’s interesting chapels, including the Chapelle Notre Dame, which contains the Vierge Noire (or “Black Virgin”), said to have miraculous powers. Henry Plantagenet, King of England and one of Rocamadour’s first pilgrims, claimed to have been cured of his ills after paying his respects to its mysterious statue. 

Once you’re done looking around, descend on your bike to the valley floor, where kids (and interested adults) can swap pedals for paddles. This is your chance to get on the water! Grown-ups continue biking to the medieval city of Martel, known as the “City of the Seven Towers.”

Back at Le Pont de l’Ouysse we gather for a delicious meal of inventive cuisine and celebrate our final evening together in the Dordogne.

Lodging: Le Pont de l’Ouysse

Biking Options:

Rocamadour Route: 15 Miles* (1,150’ elevation gain)

Lot Valley Route: 22 Miles* (1,390’)

St-Sozy Route: 31 Miles* (1,390’)

Martel Loop: 42 Miles (1,700’)

Kids: Dordogne River Canoe Trip 2 Hours 

*with shuttle

Relish a leisurely morning at the hotel or embark on one last bike ride through the region’s villages to a spectacular panorama of the valley. There’s time to freshen up before we shuttle to the Limoges train station, where our trip ends.

Lacave Loop: 15 Miles (980’ elevation gain)

Shuttle to Limoges Train Station: 1½ hours