The Dordogne, Lot & Bordeaux, 6th [Paperback]

‘Passionate and packed with good info’ – National Geographic Traveler (US)

This lush, rural corner of France where four great rivers meet offers good food, good wine and good living. Cadogan’s foray into the home of gastronomic indulgence now sails into its fifth edition. Authors Dana Facaros and Michael Pauls lived in the Lot for ten years, and the guide bursts with their intimate knowledge of the region. They explore the world’s most celebrated vineyards along the Dordogne and Lot rivers, through Bergerac, Saint Emilion and the medieval city of Cahors, with detailed wine critiques along the way. From Bordeaux to Toulouse, the region’s two fascinating cosmopolitan cities, they reveal the density of historic and natural treasures the region has to offer; from the earliest known prehistoric art at the Lascaux caves to the beautiful Renaissance town of Sarlat. Now fully redesigned, this new edition contains the most up-to-the-minute practical information and listings, along with a stunning section of color photographs and useful maps.

Beguilingly slow-paced, this area is backwater France at its most bucolic and diverse. Here, the rivers Dordogne, Lot, Garonne and Tarn wind through a land of gentle hills, myriad chateaux, medieval fortified bastide towns, astonishingly unchanged Romanesque churches, and Paleolithic caves adorned with paintings from our early ancestors. While, amid the world's largest concentration of vineyards, the bustling cities of Bordeaux and pink-brick Toulouse up the pace distinctly, elsewhere you get the feeling that little has changed since the Hundred Years' War. Dana Facaros and Michael Pauls have produced this witty, astute insider's guide to their very own patch of France – its places, architecture, natural wonders, legends, quirks, cuisine and wine - and show you why it is a region to return to again and again.

Dana Facaros and Michael Pauls are passionate about Europe and have written over 30 books for Cadogan, including several in the France series. They have lived all over Europe, but are currently settled in an idyllic farmhouse surrounded by vineyards in the Lot Valley, France.

‘If southwest France could croon a tune, it would have to be that old Inkspots' hit, ‘I don’t want to set the world on fire, I just want to be the one you love.’ Endowed with soft, gentle beauty rather than dramatic extremes, the region presents no overwhelming itinerary of high cultural shrines that demand your awe and homage. But, like all true lovers, it magically opens your eyes to the grace and charm in little things, in everyday life.’