The evergreen Vézère valley

Aquitaine is a picturesque region of France stretching from the Atlantic Ocean to the Pyrenees. It is famous for its exquisite wine, tasty cuisine and the evergreen Vézère valley, full of prehistoric discoveries and amazing caves. Bordeaux in Aquitaine is the world's largest wine-growing area, and Eyzies-de-Tayac and the Grotto of Lascaux are UNESCO World Heritage sites. These attractions already encourage you to go there.

Aquitaine is famous for its high-quality wine . The first vines were grown there in antiquity, first only in the Mediterranean region, but later the vineyards spread throughout France. The oldest, legendary wines come from Bordeaux . Near this city there are as many as 100 thousand. hectares of vineyards, including such popular grape varieties as Médoc, St-Émilion and Sauternes .

However, Aquitaine has other attractions as well. It is worth seeing the evergreen Vézère valley, also known as the Valley of Man. This is one of the greatest archaeological discoveries of the prehistoric era.

Treasures of the Vézère valley

The Vézère Valley, which includes the amazing town of Eyzies-de-Tayac , hides the greatest archaeological discovery in prehistory. This area of approximately 40 kilometers is inscribed on the UNESCO World Heritage List. In the Weser river valley, there are 147 prehistoric sites and 25 decorated caves from the Paleolithic period. The priceless finds, paintings and wall sculptures there, discovered in 1863, changed the point of view on the history of mankind. The history of settlement in the evergreen Vézère valley has more than 400,000. years. Traces from this period have been found in the caves discovered there, and there are over 130 of them. It turns out that several thousand years ago they served as a dwelling place.

The most beautiful cave there is Lascaux , discovered by four boys in 1940. This unusual and picturesque cave consists of several rooms. Most of the paintings from the Paleolithic period can be found in the Great Hall of Bulls and the Painted Gallery. The drawings show the contours of the animals - the most common are bulls, horses, cows and deer in various shades of brown, black, red and yellow. The Axial Gallery, also known as the Painted Gallery or Sistine Chapel of prehistoric art , is filled with paintings of horses and red cows.

The cave in Rouffignac is equally fascinating and mysterious - its length is as much as 10 km. You can visit it by electric train. The walls of the cave are covered with paintings depicting animals, mainly mammoths, which is why this place is called the "Grotto of a Hundred Mammoths".

Near the town of Marquay, there is the Abri de Cap Blanc rock shelter , where you can see flint and bone products, including engraved tiles related to the Magdalenian culture (their age is approx. 15 thousand years).

Rest in Vézère

The Vézère Valley has many picturesque places where it is worth stopping for a longer time and relaxing. One of them is the town of Campagne, located in the very center of Aquitaine, in the Dordogne department. It is a place full of greenery, and a good location that allows you to conveniently visit all the attractions of Aquitaine. From Campagne we will quickly get to prehistoric grottos, we can also visit the surrounding castles (Campagne, Castelnaud) or decide to go on one of the wine routes, while tasting the best French wines.

Close to Campagne, halfway between the town of Le Bugu and the town of Les Eyzies, we find Camping Le Val de la Marquise . This resort is appreciated by guests for its high standard, cleanliness and friendly service. The campsite is surrounded by greenery and is situated in the very center of one of the most beautiful forests in the region - Périgord Nor.

The camping Le Val de la Marquise is the perfect place to stay. We will find there a lot of attractions for children and adults. A mini club, sports and cultural activities, go-karts, a swimming pool , a games room, a sports hall and football and volleyball fields are just some of the numerous attractions that the center provides.

Nightlife and social life are also thriving at Campsite Le Val de la Marquise, with regular discos . Fishing enthusiasts have not been forgotten either. There is a 2,500 sq m pond near the campsite, where you can easily catch trout, perch or bream.

At the campsite, guests can rent modern and comfortable holiday homes equipped with a kitchenette, bathroom, bedroom and a comfortable patio. You can also park your motorhome there without any problems on one of the plots with sanitary and electricity connections. A four-star hotel awaits the most demanding guests.

There is a bar near the pool where we can taste French snacks and taste the regional wine. There is also a pizzeria and a grocery store. However, for a delicious dinner of local specialties, it is worth going to a restaurant located about 0.5 km from the campsite.