DORDOGNE - France 2014 - page 657

up, of course) were used by Johnny Depp, who delighted viewers and Juliette Binoche
alike in the movie Chocolat .
Climb into the town by strolling up the cobbled lane to the right of the Hôtel la Belle
Etoile. Where the stepped path ends, go right to find the exotic garden and viewpoint (in
front of the simple church). A left turn at the end of the stepped path takes you to the
privatelyownedFortTroglodytique(longclosedtothepublic).Foraterrificmedievalfort
experience, visit La Roque St-Christophe (described on here ) .
Boat Tours
Tour boats make one-hour cruises from La Roque-Gageac to Castelnaud and back (€9,
2/hour, April-Nov daily, tel. [phone]).
Sleeping and Eating in and near La Roque-Gageac
AlongwithBeynac,thisisoneoftheregion'smostbeautifulvillages.Parkinthelotatthe
eastern end of town if you're staying in La Roque-Gageac, and take everything of value
out of your car.
$$ Hôtel la Belle Etoile**, a well-managed hotel-restaurant located on the river in
the center of La Roque-Gageac, is a great deal. Hostess Danielle and chef Régis (ray-
geez) make the ideal team. The comfy rooms are well-maintained, air-conditioned, and
most have river views (non-riverview Db-€56, riverview Db-€67 or €77, gorgeous suite-
€120-150, Wi-Fi, free parking, closed Dec-March, tel. [phone], www.belleetoile.fr ,
[e-mail] ).Idiscoveredthisplacethroughits restaurant —it'swhere
locals go for a fine meal. They serve a memorable dinner of classic French cuisine in a ro-
mantic setting. The serving sizes are not great, but the quality is ( menus from €27, closed
for lunch Wed and all day Mon; book a few days ahead).
$$ Hôtel le Périgord**, a modern hotel across the river from the hill town of
Domme, offers traditionally decorated rooms at fair rates with nice gardens, a view pool,
tennis courts, a game room, and a restaurant (Db-€65-85, Tb-€104, dinner menus from
€25, free parking, Port de Domme, tel. [phone], www.hotelleperigord.eu , bienven-
[e-mail] ).
$ L'Auberge des Platanes**, across from La Roque-Gageac's TI and parking lot,
rents 13 rooms above a sprawling café and a restaurant—guests take a backseat to café
clients. Half the rooms are simple, traditional, and cheap; the other half are modern,
with all the comforts, and pricier (Sb-€39, Db-€50-65, Tb-€58-119, tel. [phone],
www.aubergedesplatanes.com , [e-mail] ).