Childrens Activities
Fun days out with the kids in the Dordogne
Château Castelnaud
The not to be missed medieval museum. It hosts a large collection of arms and Armour. Films and interactive learning devices show the evolution of fortifications and war techniques. In the grounds there are real size reconstructed, medieval war machines. During the summer there is additional entertainment such as fencing demonstrations (children ages seven years upwards can take part), guided visits led by two actors and story-telling for children.
Village of Bournat
A Village that recreates local life in the last century. It has a real working windmill. There are demonstrations of lost crafts such as pottery, bread and lace-making. You can even get dressed up in clothes from the 1900s and have your photograph taken.
Programmed workshops and live entertainment during the summer. Restaurant and picnic area.
Canoeing
There are numerous points along the rivers in the Dordogne where you can rent a canoe. Life jackets are provided and water-tight containers for valuables can be rented. Canoes can take up to four people. A fantastic day out for all the family as you can stop among the way at the riverside beaches, and have fantastic views of the old villages and castles along the way. Don’t worry about falling in, the river level is normally very low in the summer and you can usually stand up in the water.
Aquarium
The aquarium at Le Bugue is a smallish fresh water aquarium – The visit starts at the aquarium with large tanks of carp, trout and various other freshwater fish. At the end are tanks of sturgeon which are huge and have a rather shark-like appearance. Emerge from the aquariums to the outdoor pools where you can participate in feeding the fish. Next there is the new Anaconda House full of lizards and serpents in a wide range of sizes and colours. Also new to the Le Bugue Aquarium this year (2012) are the caimans – a close relative of alligators.
La Foret des Ecureuils
Set in the forests near Sarlat, the Foret des Ecureuils (Squirrel Forest) is one of the best things to do in the Dordogne if you have children above 3 years old.
The park consists of 9 (as of July ’09) courses set in several acres of woodland.
There is one for small children (their poster says 2 years+, and our 3 year old thoroughly enjoyed herself). This course is low level and younger children can be accompanies by an adult on the ground.
3 basic courses. These ones don’t go above about 4 meters off the ground.
5 height restricted (over 1.36m) courses. These ones go way up high and have some quite staggering rope slides, which anyone over 10 years old are not going to want to miss!
Le Conquil Dinosaur Park
Le Conquil, Périgord’s “Jurassik Park”, addressing families and over 4 years, proposes a visit of its troglodytic site with its surprising dovecote, its strolls in the park of dinosaurs, or still its escalation along the adventure course. Le Conquil is opened from April to the All Saints’ Day.
Close to Montignac the 18 ha Park has a wide range of dinosaurs to suit all junior explorers who would enjoy the aerial walkways and adventure equipment including a 140m ropeway!
Prehistoric Rouffignac
The Cave of Rouffignac is a very large prehistoric cave that can be visited on board an electric train. The cave features 250 paintings and engravings representing mammoths, horses, bison and rhinoceros. The cave of Rouffignac is unique in many ways. First, it is about three miles from the Vèzére River; all the others are much closer. Secondly it is really long -several miles long. In order to see the artwork you join your guide on a small electric train that travels about half a mile into the cave. This is a real selling point to the kids! And thirdly, it has been the frequent winter dwelling place of hibernating bears for millennia. All along the way inside you can see their burrows dug into the soft sides of the cave and the scratching of their claws as they trimmed their nails upon waking each spring.
Prehisto Park
The Prehisto Park at Tursac in the central Dordogne area is situated in a pleasant wooded valley which is very likely the kind of area that prehistoric man would have chosen for a settlement.
A circular walk around the valley leads you past a number of scenes that have been created to represent aspects of prehistoric life. For example there is a hunting scene where a group of prehistoric hunters bring down a wooly mammoth, another where they are attacking a cave lion and one where they are carving up a deer.
There are also various scenes of life at the settlement with family members involved in various different activities.