The region's history began thousands of years ago when Cro-magnon man lived in the caves of the Périgord and left cave paintings in sites such as Lascaux and Les Eyzies. More recent remnants of Aquitaine's history date from the time of Eléonore of Aquitaine, consort of Louis VII, King of France. When she married Henry Plantagenet, who became King of England in 1154, she began several centuries of conflict between the French and English for control of Aquitaine.

Today, the fortified villages and castles built during this time offer charm to the winding countryside and provide interesting stops along the road. Bergerac, is at the heart of one France's most picturesque and most beautiful provinces, Le Périgord. Located about 90 minutes straight east from the city of Bordeaux, on the banks of the Dordogne river, Bergerac is both a lively eco-center and the perpetuation of traditions as in the old town, filled with medieval dwellings and restored Renaissance houses. Long regarded as one of the gastronomic heavens of France, this is the country of foie gras and Monbazillac, magret de canard and Pécharmant, delicious local cheeses, and succulent berries and chestnuts.