area are well signed, but it is a region criss-crossed with paths and narrow roads, and one walk can sometimes cross another, marked in the same way. It is best to follow the route description carefully as when there is danger of taking the wrong turning, this is indicated.
Most of the walks have new wooden signposts clearly showing the various destinations and distances, with a yellow plastic top and a yellow arrow indicating the direction to take. If you are on a ‘boucle’ (circular walk), named by the local tourist office, the signpost will indicate this, together with the remaining distance at each successive signpost. In the Dordogne department (although not in the Lot), the route between signposts is often waymarked by short wooden posts with a yellow plastic top and an arrow showing a right or left turn, or a cross to show the wrong way. You might also come across a yellow plastic marker stuck to a wall or tree, or an old yellow paint splash, especially on walks in the Lot. The colour yellow is used for a circular walk, and green for a liaison (connecting) path. On two walks south of the river (Walk 6 and Walk 29) you will see an extra sign on the posts, consisting of a stylised yellow scallop shell on a blue square, indicating that this is part of the pilgrimage route of St-Jacques to Santiago de Compostela in Spain.
A post with scallop shell for the route of St-Jacques (Walk 6)
Quite a number of walks in the Dordogne are partly along sections of long-distance Grande Randonnée (GR) footpaths, which are marked by red and white horizontal stripes on posts, rocks or trees, as well as on signposts, with a red and white cross to indicate the wrong direction. In this guide you will mostly come across the GR6, which runs through the centre of the Dordogne from just east of Bordeaux, ending after 1100km near Barcelonnette in the Alpes-de-Haute-Provence. A few walks are partly along the GR64, which runs for 90km from les Eyzies to Rocamadour, and you will come across small sections of other GRs.
In addition to the GR footpaths, you will come across a few Grande Randonnée de Pays (GRP or GR de Pays) footpaths which are long circuits, marked by red and yellow horizontal stripes. Where the route for a walk is on a GR or a GRP footpath, this is clearly indicated in both the text and on the accompanying sketch map.
At the start of many walks the local tourist offices have erected large information boards, which are mentioned in the text of individual walks. These show a map of walks in the area and information on anything of historical or general interest. They are often in English as well as French, and it is worth taking the time to read them before setting off.
Typical signpost
Maps
A good map that gives an overall picture of the Dordogne and Lot is the Michelin Carte Routière et Touristique 1:150,000 Périgord Quercy.
Each walk in this guide is accompanied by a sketch map with coloured contours, showing key places and numbered waypoints that are highlighted in the route description. To cope with the high density of information and the different walk lengths, we have used four scales: 1:25,000, 1:33,000, 1:40,000 and 1:50,000. For additional features and detailed navigation, the relevant 1:25,000 IGN paper map is specified in the information box at the beginning of each walk. Unfortunately, only a few of the IGN maps for the Dordogne are in the Top 25 Carte de Randonnée series, which often show the walking paths explicitly; most are in the Série Bleue series, which do not show the walking routes so clearly.
A complete list of IGN maps can be found in Appendix B, together with details of where to buy or order them in the UK. Otherwise, it is easy to buy them in the region and they are sometimes cheaper in local supermarkets.
For pre-walk planning and post-analysis, all the 1:25,000 and 1:100,000 IGN maps for the whole of France are available on the internet for a very small annual subscription from www.sitytrail.com. This is the best way to be sure you have the latest editions, and is accompanied by a powerful set of tools to choose the magnification, print selected areas, superimpose recorded GPS trails and record your favourite routes online.
GPX files for all the routes described in the guide are available as free downloads to purchasers of the book at www.cicerone.co.uk/843/GPX.
GUIDELINES TO WALKING IN THE DORDOGNE
Read the walk description against a map before you go to ensure that the walk is within the capacity of all members of your party.
Give yourself plenty of time by setting off early. If a walk has a timing of five hours, allow at least one hour extra for breaks and a lunch stop.
Although the Dordogne is not usually as hot as the south of France, in summer you will need to take plenty of water and sunscreen.
It is advisable not to deviate from the marked path – if there is a shortcut it is usually shown on the map.
If you are walking alone, always tell someone where you are going.
Do not pass any barrier indicating ‘Propriété Privée’ unless the walk description indicates that this is permitted.
Even if the day looks hot and fine, take waterproof clothing as the weather can be changeable.
Remember to walk on the left-hand side of the road in order to face oncoming traffic.
Shut all gates and barriers that you go through.
Do not light matches or make a fire, especially when it has been dry.
Do not pick the wild flowers but leave them for others to enjoy.
Take your litter home with you.
Using this guide
The 35 walks in this guidebook are grouped into four sections, around the towns of Bergerac, Lalinde, Sarlat and Souillac. Each section starts with an introduction to the area covered in the walks that follow, with a few towns and villages mentioned as convenient places to stay. At the beginning of the route description for each walk there is a box giving a range of useful information: the start and finish of the walk; distance; total ascent and maximum altitude; grading and an approximation of time (see further below); the relevant IGN maps; access information to reach the start point; and signposting encountered on the walk. This information is also summarised in a route summary table in Appendix A. Throughout the route descriptions place names and features that are shown on the map are highlighted in bold.
The observations at the start of each walk give additional background information about the town or village the walk is starting from, and about any points of interest seen on the way, which might include a château or church, a prehistoric cave or Celtic hill-fort, a museum or garden, or even a boat ride.
Walk grading
All walks are within the capacity of the average walker, and are on well-marked paths or quiet roads. They are graded easy or medium, and since the Dordogne is a land of rolling woodland and shallow valleys, there are no long, steep climbs or abrupt descents. Easy walks can generally be done in a half day, and are less than 10km in distance, most with a total ascent of less than 200m. Medium walks take longer, and can be up to 18km in distance, with a total ascent of up to 500m.
The total ascent is the sum of the height gains for all the uphill stretches, by definition equal to the total descent
