![]() Designated a Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO two years ago, the valley boasts an abundance of unspoilt countryside and beautifully preserved towns and villages, a number of which have been named ‘Plus Beaux Villages de France’ by the association of the same name, which seeks to highlight and preserve the heritage of the country’s most picturesque villages. The Dordogne Valley spans three departments along the River Dordogne in south-west France – Lot, Dordogne, and Corrèze – and while they may be in different administrative regions (Midi-Pyrénées, Aquitaine, and Limousin respectively), they still share a great deal of history and traditions and are connected by France’s fifth longest river, the River Dordogne. ![]() Although not surrounded by expats, we have made some good friendships in both the English-speaking and French-speaking communities.” “We have now lived here for more than 10 years and we love the area for the lush growth, the wonderful summers and cold winters, the fabulous deep valleys and the beautiful River Dordogne, the medieval villages and the French culture. So we decided to look in the north of the Lot department, which is still in the Dordogne Valley,” Annette explains. “We quickly realised that although the department of Dordogne is very desirable with wonderful scenery and pretty villages, we felt it was also highly populated with expats. They started their property search in Dordogne, in order to be near Bergerac airport, but soon decided to cast the net a little wider. She and her husband Clive moved to Saint-Sozy, a small village on the banks of the River Dordogne only 10 minutes from Souillac, in 2005. “Being in the Lot, but still in the valley of the Dordogne, we feel we have the best of both worlds,” says expat Annette Berrecloth. It is therefore not surprising that many Brits are now looking to the Dordogne Valley. Look beyond, to the wider Dordogne Valley, and you’ll find local French residents, delicious regional food and wine, and village fêtes and festivals, in addition to all the reasons that attracted Brits to the area in the first place – such as the weather, the scenery, the culture and the gastronomy – which are still as valid today as they were 20 years ago. However, while there may be some villages that answer to this description, you don’t have to travel far from the department’s hotspots to find yourself in the heart of rural France. This image has been cited by many a wannabe expat fearful of exchanging one British village for another – albeit one with better weather. Travel beyond the well-known hotspots of Dordogne and into the Dordogne Valley, and you will find pretty villages, peaceful countryside, delicious food and wine and a strong cultureĪs a long-standing favourite with British second-home owners and expats, the department of Dordogne has become unfavourably dubbed in some circles as ‘Dordogneshire’ or ‘Little England’, due to a reputation for being full of Brits.
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