Day 1. Arrive Sarlat: collect cycles and  equipment,  route briefing and instruction. Explore this interesting old town.

 

Day 2. SARLAT – MARQUAY           28ml(45km)
Cycle south to the River Dordogne and the Castle of Montfort. Across the river, the village of Domme, situated on a high dome of solid rock, commands marvellous views of the surrounding countryside. The nearby town of La Roque Gageac juts out from the base of a sheer cliff. Visit the 15^th century Chateau de la Malartrie before continuing to Castelnaud and its excellent Museum which tells the story of the Hundred Years War. Before cycling north to your overnight stop at Marquay  visit the Chateau of Beynac  perched high on the hill overlooking the river.

 

Day 3. EXCURSION FROM MARQUAY                                    20ml(33km)
Explore the valley of the River Vézère with a trip to Les Eyzies. This area abounds with prehistoric sites, rock shelters, grottos and deposits, some 200 having been discovered. Visit the Abri du Cap Blanc and the Grotte de La Grèze to see the ancient engravings and the 13^th century Chateau of Commarque. At Les Eyzies the National Museum of Prehistory is a treasure house of prehistoric sculpture, paintings and engravings.

 

Day 4. MARQUAY – THONAC 22ml(35km)
Northwards today once again to the Vézère River where you meet La Roque St Christophe, a sheer cliff, half a mile long sliced into five terraces, one of which is the longest in Europe. The sleepy village of St Léon sur Vézère has a splendid Romanesque church and nearby is the 16 century Castle of Clérans.

 

Day 5. CIRCULAR TOUR FROM THONAC 19ml(30km) Cycle alongside the river to Montignac and Lascaux. Lascaux II is a reproduction of the “Sistine Chapel of Prehisoric Art”, the description given to the original discovery in 1940 of a cave of magnificent undamaged  Paleolithic Art, now sealed for its protection. At Losse the Chateau is beautifully furnished with tapestries, porcelains and 16^th century pieces whilst at Le Thot there is an excellent museum.

 

Day 6. THONAC – LA CHAPELLE AUBAREIL                        32ml(51km)
Visit the fortified Abbey of St Amand de Coly and the quaint village of St Geniès as you make your way to the overnight stop at the small village of La Chapelle Aubareil.

 

Day 7. LA CHAPELLE AUBAREIL - SARLAT                           30ml(50km)
On your last day you return to Sarlat via the pretty town of Salignac with its magnificent Chateaux, on to Carlucet to see its Romano-Byzantine Church and lastly to Ste Nathalène which has a interesting traditional nut oil mill.

 

Day 8. DEPART SARLAT