Off the Beaten Path & Back in Time

Quick: what's the capital of prehistory? If you answered "the Dordogne," give yourself a gold star. This cave-riddled region is where our early ancestors left their most indelible mementos, painted on the walls of limestone grottoes. It's where you and your gang will create memories as well. Explore ancient castles and fortresses. Visit villages carved out of cliffs. Canoe the Dordogne River and pedal past wheat fields and walnut groves. Spend nights in luxurious hotels, snack on crêpes, and savor gourmet cuisine paired with Bergerac and Bordeaux wines. Make your own family history in the region of prehistory.

Days 1-2 Farm country makes way for lush rolling hills on a spin beside the Dordogne River  Are your taste buds ready to be dazzled? Michelin-starred cuisine is on the menu  Cro-Magnon cave art at the prehistoric caves of Rouffignac depicting images of mammoths and ibex and other large game that once roamed free Kids learn to make bread and get a taste of rural life in 1900 at Le Village Bournat.

Day 3 Discover enchanting Sarlat, with more medieval, Renaissance and 17th-century buildings than any other city in France  A leisurely climb leads to the medieval town of Domme, with cobblestone streets and exquisite honey-colored homes Picnic in the shadow of Château de Castelnaud, one of the region's most impressive castles.

Day 4 The largest and liveliest outdoor market in all of the Dordogne tempts grown-ups with a mind-boggling array of fruits, vegetables, truffles, meats and cheeses  Kids defy gravity at a fun-filled ropes course Bike along the Dordogne River past orchards, perhaps stopping to lounge in the shade of a walnut tree.

Days 5-6 Trade pedals for paddles and canoe down the Dordogne River Ride to the fortified 13th-century mill of Cougnaguet, nestled in a beautiful limestone canyon and turned by the waters of the Ouysse River Rocamadour, once a pilgrimage destination, beckons you from its perch above the Alzou Canyon Spin to the medieval city of Martel, known as the "City of the Seven Towers" A Michelin-starred meal showcases Périgord specialties.