Dordogne

The Dordogne, one of France's longest rivers, is also held to be its most beautiful. Between Bort- les-Orgues and Beaulieu-sur- Dordogne it flows through the Limousin and then on into Périgord, frequently dammed to produce hydroelectric power. There are large dams in the Limousin at Bort- les-Orgues and Marèges, as well as smaller ones like the Barrage de l'Aigle, Barrage du Chastang and Barrage du Sablier, near Argentat. These various dams, extending over a distance of more than 100km/60mi like a giant staircase, have transformed the landscape. Between Bort-les- Orgues and the Barrage du Sablier the river falls some 400 m/1,300ft, regulated by five dams.

The Dordogne is formed at the foot of the Puy de Sancy by the junction of the Dore and the Dogne, which also combine to give it its name. Leaving the volcanic region of Auvergne, it enters the granite hills of the Limousin, and after a course of almost 500km/310mi joins with the Garonne to form the Gironde, which flows into the Atlantic at Royan.