Famous for the Lascaux Caves, this charming riverside town nestling deep in the heart of the Vézère Valley in the Périgord Noir is a must on your Dordogne touring itinerary. Visit the vibrant Wednesday and Saturday morning market, relax on the outside terraces of the riverside cafés and restaurants or stroll through the narrow medieval lanes and enjoy architecture of the 14th 15th and 16th century. Festivals in the town include: Festival of International Folklore (last week in July), Festival of the Périgord Noir (August), Flea market (WE de la Pentecost), Fête des Inondés (July) , Firework displays 14/07 and 15/08. For the more active Montignac is a centre for Canoes et Kayaks or you can hire a Quad bike from Périgord Rando Quad; to be found behind the mairie, on the road to Valojoulx.

Lascaux is the oldest of the deep decorated caves as well as being the most unusual. The gifted artists of that time, 17000 years ago, knew how to frame the three dimensional outlines of animals and make them appear to move across the surface of the rock face. To directly quote from the English translation of the book by Brigitte and Gilles Delluc, "Lascaux is the eye of the hunter and the hand of the artist. This is doubtless why this cave occupies such a special place in the history of prehistoric art. In fact, before Lascaux ornamentation was not bad at all; after Lascaux, it is very well done. But in Lascaux itself, it is beautiful." Now, only the exact replica of Lascaux II can be visited, but the illusion of being in the "Sistine Chapel of prehistory" is absolute.

Montignac is a great place to begin to explore the Vézère Valley which contains 147 prehistoric site and 25 decorated caves. The Vézère river flows from its source in the Massif Central to the Dordogne River (about 190km). The magical Vézère valley, witness to human occupation for 400,000 years and classed as a world heritage site by UNESCO, covers an area of more than 50 kilometres where the most celebrated and important European prehistoric sites can be discovered. Head towards Saint Léon sur Vézère which is dominated by the côte de Jor, (magnificent panorama) and is classed as one of the most beautiful villages of France, not far from there is the château de Chabans, and the troglodyte dwellings of the Roque St Christophe which retraces 55,000 years of occupation on 800 metres of rock face at Le Moustier. Amongst the sites of interest are the Château de Losse and l'Espace Cro-Magnon du Thot at Thonac. A short drive from Le Moustier will take you to Les Eyzies de Tayac. Les Eyzies has been classified as one of the worlds premier sites of prehistory there can be found the caves of Combarelles, Font-de-Gaume, l'abri de Cap Blanc et l'abri Pataud and Le Musée National de la Préhistoire. The National Museum of Prehistory Les Eyzies de Tayac houses the most important paleolithic collection in France (stone and bone tools and the worlds premier collection of paleolithic engravings and sculpture). It is at present undergoing considerable extension works, which will give the museum a surface area of more than 4700 m2. (exhibition rooms, laboratories, activities, services, etc.). 5 km from Les Eyzies de Tayac is the commune of Tursac home to l'abri de la Madeleine a troglodyte city, le Préhistoparc (for children) and the Chateau de MARZAC. Finally at Limeuil (24km from Tursac), a very pretty village, one can witness the majestic meeting of the Dordogne and the Vézère rivers. A popular visit for the children is at Le Bugue, ‘door to the Vézère’ where there is the reconstructed village le Bournat which transports back in time to 1900. This village authentically reproduces village life in that century with its’ artisans, shopkeepers and farmers going about their daily routines. Near to the village Le Bournat is the aquarium of the Périgord Noir and the subterranean Gouffre de Proumeyssac the largest crater to explore in the Périgord. Save Sarlat the ancient capital of the Périgord Noir, 25 minutes drive from Montignac in the other direction, for another day. Sarlat is a very beautiful small medieval city in the heart of the Dordogne valley, the excellent and vibrant market day is on Saturday. If after a morning spent in Sarlat followed by a hefty lunch in one of the numerous restaurants you still have any energy left, the Dordogne river is only a short distance away by car.