Travel Agent - April 14, 2008 - (Page 21)

OPPOSITE: The dining terrace at Château de la Treyne offers a magnificent view of the Dordogne ABOVE: Château de la Treyne’s Louis XIII suite is decorated in rich wine colors and features a four-poster bed cuisine that’s straight from the terroir. Also known as the Périgord, the land carved by the Dordogne River is dotted with imposing clifftop châteaux and bastide (fortified medieval) villages hugging the hilltops. This is rural France at its finest, and your clients will enjoy a slice of the quintessential French pastoral life. After all, France is a nation of 36,000 villages, and the hamlets in the Dordogne are utterly charming. Weekly street markets brim with foie gras, truffles, confits, sausages, walnuts and other regional specialties. Visitors flock from around the world to sample the goods at the Saturday market at Sarlat-La-Canéda (its exquisite sandstone turrets and golden-hued medieval alleys were restored by André Malraux, the French Minister of Culture in the 1960s). The seasonal truffle market in Périgueux, the GalloRomain regional capital, is also a large draw. Most importantly, the Dordogne is celebrated as a prehistoric cradle of civilization, and its labyrinthine limestone caves—like the world-famous Grotte de Lascaux—showcase significant paintings dating back 14,000 years. A nice perk is that unlike the Loire Valley, the attractions in the Dordogne are close to one another, so your clients won’t suffer much driving time between sights. Each hairpin turn of the Dordogne River seems to boast another marvel: an enchanting village carved from sheer rock (like La Roque Gageac), a castle perched on dramatic cliffs (like Castelnaud and Beynacet-Cazenac) or a walled bastide village with medieval ramparts (like Domme). South of the Dordogne, the Quercy region— its chalky limestone hills sliced by the meandering River Lot—is even less touristed than its northern neighbor. Cahors, the capital of the Lot département, is renowned for its rich red wines, so inky-dark in color that the Romans called it “black wine.” Traveling west from Cahors, your clients will be delighted by some of the most beautiful scenery in France. Following the winding curves of the cliff-flanked river, they will discover a smattering of villages built along the water’s edge, including the spectacular 13th- century hamlet of Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, perched on a cliff 100 meters above the river. Lined with half-timbered houses, the flower-filled streets ascend to a dramatic pinnacle with stupendous views. Also nearby is the Grotte de Pech Merle, a cavern of impressive stalactites and stalagmites, as well as beautiful prehistoric paintings of mammoths and polka-dotted horses as well as negative handprints on the walls. But what’s the best part of a visit to the southwest of France? Your clients can stay in an authentic château-hotel. Château de la Treyne (www.chateaude latreyne.com) seduces with its idyllic setting and luxurious, individually decorated rooms. Lodged on a cliff overlooking the Dordogne just six kilometers from Rocamadour, the famous pilgrimage town that served as a way-station to Santiago de Compostela in Spain, the castle was built between the 14th and 17th centuries. In fact, the castle itself was a stopping point for travelers on this important pilgrimage route. Selected by Karen Brown’s France Hotels as the most romantic hotel in all of France for 2007, Château de la Treyne has 16 beautifully furCONTINUED ON PAGE 22 April 14, 2008 TravelAgent | 21 http://www.chateaudelatreyne.com http://www.chateaudelatreyne.com

Table of Contents Feed for the Digital Edition of Travel Agent - April 14, 2008

Travel Agent - April 14, 2008 Online Now Contents Contributors From the Editor From the Publisher Europe: The châteaux-hotels of the Dordogne and Quercy in France Middle East: Although Dubai is Expanding, it is not Bursting at the Seams Pacific/Asia: Pattaya is Southeast Asia’s Sunny Paradise Pacific/Asia Briefs Las Vegas: New York City Dining Comes to Sin City Hawaii: Accommodations in Hawaii for the Entire Family Central & South America: Cayo Espanto is the Private Island Resort for Clients to Get Away from it All Caribbean: Iberostar Property Opens in Rose Hall, Jamaica Running El Casino at the Sheraton Old San Juan Africa: Africa Travel Association’s 11th Annual Symposium Spotlight on the Djibouti Palace Kempinski Cruises: Experts Share Views on the Direction Cruise Pricing is Heading Cover Story: Home Counsel Car Rental: Vacation.com Joins with Hertz to Grow Car-Rental Sales Transportation Briefs Northeast USA: Brooklyn’s Hotel Le Bleu Agent Profile: Gary Mansour of Mansour Travel Agenda: Fam Trips, Deals & Incentives, Calendar Violent Protests Halt Travel to Tibet Celebrating Company and Agency Innovations Sheraton Upgrades Brand through Renovations and Redesign Earning Opportunities and Agent Recognition In the Spotlight Editorial Index Advertising Index Classified Marketplace Trendwatch

Travel Agent - April 14, 2008

For optimal viewing of this digital publication, please enable JavaScript and then refresh the page. If you would like to try to load the digital publication without using Flash Player detection, please click here.