Good stop when visiting caves. Lots of flints, some signs are in English. Animal displays are cool,…read moreand the museum continues along the hillside for great views.

Take a walk back through time Our tour guide brought us here…read morefor a tour of this museum. The collection, the documentation, the displays cataloged with a "Smithsonian" perfection were just overwhelming for the short period of time we were there. I understand this area of France is a little off the beaten path for the large American tour companies. This is a shame, the museum deserved much more time for discovery and contemplation. Even with so much use of French in the museum, a visitor can still be filled with a sense of wonder.

Steve and Judy Burman, ex-pat English archeologists, offer an exclusive B&B and personalized tour…read morepackage of the painted caves and castles of the Dordogne region of southern France. My wife and I engaged Steve for a two day private tour of cave art at Lascaux, Le Thot, Cap Blanc, Font-de-Gaume, Las Combarelles and the National Museum of Prehistory in Les Eyzies. We were forewarned that we would return after a day with Steve completely exhausted. And we did. Each day, with Steve as our guide and mentor, we learned about he paintings, engravings and sculptures of the "Cromagnons" often times only inches away from the art they created. We climbed, crouched and twisted our way into cave recesses to see ancient paintings of bison, aurochs, mammoth,and raindeer, quickly understanding that these were made by highly competent artists. Steve not only explained the art and its merits but also set for us the geologic and archeological background which spawned the people who created these masterpieces. Steve was generous with his knowledge, generous with his time and, over lunch or while driving us from one site to another would also patiently explain customs, courtesies and modern French lifestyle in the Dordogne. I can't say enough for Steve and Judy Burman's Caves & Castles tours.

From the owner: Classé au Patrimoine mondial de l'Unesco Le site préhistorique de la vallée de la Vézère comporte…read more147 gisements remontant jusqu'au paléolithique et 25 grottes ornées. Il présente un intérêt exceptionnel d'un point de vue ethnologique, anthropologique et esthétique avec ses peintures pariétales, en particulier celles de la grotte de Lascaux dont la découverte (en 1940) a marqué une date dans l'histoire de l'art préhistorique. Ses scènes de chasse habilement composées comprennent une centaine de figures animales, étonnantes par la précision de l'observation, la richesse des coloris et la vivacité du rendu. Classé au patrimoine mondial de l'Unesco en 1979. Ci-dessous, la liste complète des monuments classés au patrimoine mondiale de l'Unesco en France.

CHATEAU DE MONBAZILLAC Chateau de Monbazillac…read more24240 Monbazillac http://www.chateau-monbazillac.com 05 53 61 52 52 and 05 53 63 65 00 An afternoon visit to the Chateau de Monbazillac was the highlight today. We arrived at the home of the famous sweet wine after a 70 km trip. Built around 1550, the chateau stands today almost exactly as when built by the AYDIE family more than four centuries ago. This was a very interesting visit indeed, highlights including the Grand Salon, the Mouney-Sully Hall, the Grand Staircase and the Hall of Bottles. The world renowned vineyard was first cultivated in the 11th century and is famous for using the noble rot method to make its sweet wines which draw thousands of visitors every year. We availed of the tasting service, naturally, and purchased some of the golden nectar along with some Bergerac Rouge and Bergerac Sec. In entering this place, you are entering a part of the History of France. So says one of the chateau's leaflets. Today, the Wine Cooperative of Monbazillac owns the chateau and makes every effort to look after the monument and open it as much as possible to visitors. For EUR6.40, we thought it was very good value indeed.

The famous sweet white wines of Monbazillac are grown in the vineyards surrounding this historical…read moremonument dating from 1550. We visited on a day that it rained followed by sunshine and were delightfully greeted with double rainbows arching over the vineyards and behind the Chateau creating postcard perfect memories. Le Chateau boasts twenty furnished rooms with unique and original architecture. Make sure to go down the stairs to the wine cellars and read some of the historical documents. When we visited, the top floor dining room was hosting a very odd art show of trash and garbage. We weren't sure what the meaning was, however, we decided to think about it as a nod to the importance of recycling. The view from the northern terrace offers extraordinary landscapes over the Bergerac valley and the Dordogne river. The white wine was too sweet for our California palate, but would be delicious over ice cream as a dessert!