The Dordogne gorges

Straddling the departments of Corrèze and Cantal, the gorges of the Haute-Dordogne are undoubtedly one of the most remarkable natural areas in the Auvergne and Nouvelle-Aquitaine regions.
The gorges were carved out by the Dordogne River, which rises in the Sancy massif where two rivers, the Dore and the Dogne, meet.The Upper Dordogne gorges, and more generally the entire Dordogne basin, have been granted international recognition by UNESCO as a biosphere reserve. The gorges are home to rare and protected species of flora and fauna, including breeding populations of birds of prey, some of which are migratory: the booted eagle, the red kite and the short-toed eagle are undoubtedly the most representative.

Hiking in the gorges :
The Association La Dordogne de Villages en Barrages invites you to discover breathtaking trails on its long-distance hiking itinerary. With L'itinérêve, combining nature and industry, you can step back in time to discover the impressive dams that line the river. This itinerary is designed for good walkers, as it covers a total distance of over 460 km, with some steep ascents and descents. If you want to discover the trails over a shorter distance, opt for the Bort-les-Orgues loop (84 km 2500 m D+) or the Vernéjoux loop (83 km 2000 m D+), for example.

Hiking in the gorges :
A short hiking trail (10.6 km) allows you to appreciate part of the gorges from Champagnac: PR25 Le pont de Vernéjoux.

Other activities in the gorges:
Roche-le-Peyroux in Corrèze has a nautical base where you can enjoy the peace and quiet of the gorges. You can get to the gorge from the Mentier site (Saint-Pierre) and the Vernéjoux bridge (Champagnac), and there are also a number of viewpoints in Corrèze: the Saint Nazaire site and the Gratte Bruyère lookout. There's also a viewpoint over the Marèges dam: follow the "remarkable site" signs from the village. The gorges can also be seen from the "big rocks" viewpoint.