Read all about it in the Globe & Mail

No doubt, this story from the travel section of today's Globe and Mail will draw a few more tourists to the area. They're all welcome, I'm sure. There's plenty of hiking trails, chateaux and quiet streets, as well as truffle, foie gras and Bergerac wine for everybody.

Dean Jobb writes:

"There's an old story that God ordered one of his saints to cover France with châteaux like this. Exhausted after laying out Versailles, Fontainebleau and other sprawling royal palaces, the saint knocked off early and dumped the rest here, in the Périgord. It's a charming explanation for the hundreds of castles that dot this laid-back region of southern France, a few hours' drive inland from Bordeaux, where visitors can tour a prehistoric cave, stand on medieval ramparts and float down the meandering Dordogne River – all in one day."

The Dordogne River at La Roque-Gageac

Not just a "charming explanation". An amazing feat, even for a deity, when you consider that the region's medieval forts predate the chateaux of the Loire Valley by a few hundred years. But then again, time does seem to stand still in the Dordogne.

Read more from "Explore the Frenchman's paradise"