The Region
One of France's last great wildernesses.
The shooting brings people here.
The region keeps them coming back.
Prehistoric caves. Medieval villages. Rivers, vineyards, and markets that have run for six hundred years. France's most beautiful region, and still one of its least discovered.
The Landscape
The Vézère Valley, the Dordogne River, the forests of the Périgord Noir. Limestone cliffs dropping to clear water. Oak forest that goes on for miles. The kind of landscape that changes with every season — misty autumn mornings, summer sunflowers, winter truffle markets, spring light on the river.
There is nowhere in France quite like it. And almost no one outside France knows it as well as they should.
Food & Wine
The Périgord produces some of the finest food in France. Foie gras and duck confit from the farms around the château. Black Périgord truffles in winter — the finest in the world, and available here at their source. Bergerac wines a short drive away. Bordeaux and Saint-Émilion within reach for a day trip.
The weekly markets at Sarlat, Bergerac, and Périgueux are worth the visit alone. For a certain kind of guest, the food and wine is as big a draw as the shooting.
We maintain a curated list of restaurants we highly recommend in the area — some of the finest tables in France, from market-town bistros to Michelin-starred rooms in the valley. Shared with every guest upon booking.
Medieval Villages & History
The Dordogne is home to some of the most beautiful medieval villages in France — more than thirty within an hour of the château, each one distinct. Brantôme, built on an island in the Dronne river, known as the Venice of the Périgord. Sarlat-la-Canéda, whose medieval centre has barely changed in five centuries. Domme, perched on a cliff above the river with views across the valley. La Roque-Gageac, clinging to a limestone wall at the water's edge.
Further afield: Beynac, Castelnaud, Les Eyzies, Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère. Each one worth an afternoon. At Lascaux and Font-de-Gaume, prehistoric cave paintings that predate every civilization you have ever studied — nowhere else in Europe can you see art of this quality, this age, and this concentration.
Beyond the Grounds
Some of the finest canoeing in France. Half-day and full-day routes through the valley, past limestone cliffs and medieval villages.
Long-distance trails through oak forest, past prehistoric sites, along valley ridges. The GR36 passes close to the château.
Quiet roads and dedicated cycling paths along the Dordogne river. One of the most scenic cycling routes in France.
The Dordogne and Vézère rivers hold salmon, trout, and pike. Private stretches available. A natural complement to a shooting stay.
Thirty medieval villages within an hour. Brantôme, Sarlat, Domme, La Roque-Gageac. Each one worth an afternoon on foot.
Lascaux and Font-de-Gaume are within reach. Nowhere else in Europe can you see prehistoric cave art of this quality.
Sarlat on Saturday, Bergerac on Wednesday, Périgueux on Wednesday and Saturday. Truffles, foie gras, local cheese, Périgord wine.
Bergerac vineyards on the doorstep. Saint-Émilion and Bordeaux within 90 minutes for a full day trip through some of France's finest appellations.
A call to understand what you're looking for and build the ideal visit around your stay at Château de Montardy.
Book a Discovery Call