Tag Archive for: medieval towns

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Mountain Biking Vezere Valley Dordogne France

Are you starting to plan your 2011 vacation, and would like to combine mountain biking with some stunning tourist attractions?.. Why not consider the Vezere Valley in the Dordogne Region of France? The Vezere Valley MTB Trails are 100% unique, exciting, scenic and fantastic.

The Vezere Valley in the heart of the Dordogne France was home to our Prehistoric ancestors more than 460,000 years ago. The Vezere Valley was the hunting grounds of the Neanderthals who lived in the caves of the sandstone cliffs of the valley. It was also here that the link was found between our Prehistoric ancestors and the CroMagnon [ “Modern Man” ]
But the Dordogne is not just famous for it’s Prehistoric treasures such as Lascaux and Font de Gaume, the Dordogne is also famous for Medieval towns and villages, such as Sarlat, Beyac and Domme, Medieval Strongholds, Cloisters, Bastides and lots of other amazing attractions.

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Walking Dordogne offers unique tours in the Vezere and Dordogne Valley, cave tours, hiking, canoeing, horse riding and Mountain Biking. They have a site dedicated to Mountain Biking Dordogne .  The mtb trails in the Vezere Valley are probably the oldest trails in the world, dating back 1000’s of years.

The most popular Dordogne / Vezere Valley Mtb Trails are:

  • The Devils Play Ground
  • Satan’s Fury
  • Devils Backbone
  • Valley of Revenge
  • Hells Gorge
  • Dordogne Mayhem
  • Neaderthals Revenge
  • Neandertahls, Romans and Templars


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I myself spend about 4- 5 months a year in the Dordogne, and am a mtb guide for Walking Dordogne.  For anyone interested in a vacation in the Dordogne Douth West France, I would recommend using Les Eyzies de Tayac as a base to explore both the Vezere Valley[ Prehistoric] and the Dordogne Valley [Medieval]

If you need more info about the Dordogne / Vezere Valley, feel free to contact me with any Q’s… and if you are ever lucky enough to find yourself here, let me know, and if I’m in the area, I’ll take you on some unforgettable and unique trails…Rip3d

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B&B Ferme de Tayac

This article is sponsored by B&B Ferme de Tayac, voted nicest B&B in the Vezere Valley 5 years running.
Ferme de Tayac, a lovely B&B in a 12th century former Farmhouse / Monastery situated in Tayac, a quaint little village in the heart of the Vezere Valley and only 5 minutes walk from Les Eyzies, the Prehistoric Capital of the World. The rooms are all en suite, spacious and comfy, all with views and in former Monks quarters and oozing history. Built up against solid rock, which means that both downstairs and upstairs are on ground level, walls of solid rock, ancient oak beam structures, fortified walls 3 feet thick, a massive and original wine press in the huge dining room, monk’s carvings in the stone walls, and lots and lots more. For more info please visit their official web site : www.fermedetayac.com
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Mountain Biking Dordogne France a 100 percent unique mountain bike adventure

When I [ RIP3D ] am not testing mountain biking trails in various places on earth, I am a Mountain Biking Guide in the Dordogne, South West France.
Mountain Biking in the Dordogne is a 100% unique experience. you cannot compare the Dordogne to Moab, or Fruita, but then again, you cannot compare Moab or Fruita to the Dordogne either.. (if you know what I mean!!)

The Dordogne is the most beautiful and diverse region in Europe. No where in the world can you travel through more than 460,000 years of history, all within 2 hours. From the Vezere Valley, that is the undisputed Prehistoric Capital of the World. The Vézère valley contains 147 prehistoric sites dating from the Paleolithic and 25 decorated caves. It is particularly interesting from an ethnological and anthropological, as well as an aesthetic point of view because of its cave paintings, especially those of the Lascaux Cave, whose discovery in 1940 was of great importance for the history of prehistoric art.

The Dordogne Valley is famous for her Medieval Towns & Villages, Bastides, Castles, Forts, Fortified Monasteries and other Medieval Jewels.

[Show as slideshow]

The tours I guide are for Walking Dordogne, a small but extremely popular Outdoors Outfitter that specialize in Hiking, Canoeing, Horse Riding and lets not forget Mountain Biking, the groups are small, never more than 5, the rides are technically and physically moderate, the views are a stunning 5+, and as I said, 100% unique.

Our notorious trails to date are :

  • The Devils Play Ground
  • Satan’s Fury
  • Devils Backbone
  • Valley of Revenge
  • Hells Gorge
  • Dordogne Mayhem

Most Trails can be combined to make them longer or shorter.

The trails will take you through Prehistoric Caves and shelters, more than 20 times older than the Egyptian Pyramids and 90 times older than Machu Picchu , medieval villages, ancient merchant trails, dating back 1000’s of years, and ancient oak and walnut forests.

If you are a Mountain Biker that believes culture and unique scenery is more important than Grade 5 tech trails, and you are looking for some unique mountain biking, then take a look at Mountain Biking Dordogne or Walking Dordogne

Hopefully I will personally get to meet you in the Dordogne, if you have any further questions about Mountain Biking in the Dordogne, please let me know.
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More Info : Mountain Biking Dordogne or Walking Dordogne

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Mountain Biking Dordogne with Walking Dordogne

Visitors from around the world are coming to the Dordogne, not for the Prehistoric sites, or Medieval Towns and Villages, No, they are coming to Mountain Bike.
Since some of Walking Dordogne’s Mountain Biking Videos were posted on various sites such as YouTube and Mountain Bike Mayhem interest in their tours have gone through the roof.

Mountain Biking Dordogne

Walking Dordogne is very secretive about their Trails, but, as Duke from Walking Dordogne states,

this is because we have spent years putting these unique trails together, and a lot of our trails are actually on private property.

Walking Dordogne’s notorious rides are :

•The Devils Play Ground
•Satan’s Fury
•Devils Backbone
•Valley of Revenge
•Hells Gorge

Walking Dordogne are planning to launch two Dordogne “EPIC” trails, an EPIC Trail is a trail that will take a whole day (if lucky) to complete, usually aboy 8+ hours.
These 2 EPICS will be finalized in about November, and will be added to the 2010 list of trips / tours.

To make it easier for Mountain Bikers around the world to find mountain biking in the Dordogne info, Walking Dordogne has launched a “Mountain Biking Dordogne” web page : www.mountainbikingdordogne.com

For all other Walking Dordogne Tours and Trips visit : www.walkingdordogne.com

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