8 lovely places selected by us
The Dordogne is arguably France's most perfectly formed family holiday region — a golden landscape of limestone cliffs, walnut orchards, sunflower fields and winding river valleys that seems almost designed to slow a family down and make them enjoy each other's company. The River Dordogne itself is the great centrepiece: calm enough for children to canoe, wide enough for swimming spots, and lined with medieval châteaux that appear round every bend like something from a storybook. The prehistoric caves at Lascaux and Font-de-Gaume introduce children to some of the most extraordinary art in human history without ever feeling like a school trip, and the beautiful bastide towns of Sarlat and Domme are full of markets, ice cream and restaurants that welcome children without fuss. Farm stays and cottage complexes abound in the region, many set on working farms where kids can see sunflowers harvested, geese herded and walnut oil pressed. Summer evenings here — a table outside, a cold rosé, the sound of crickets — are precisely what family holidays should be.