Auvézère River Valley Trails
Just 8 kilometres south of Hautefort, the Auvézère river has carved a series of dramatic limestone gorges through the Périgord Blanc that feel entirely wild despite being a short drive from the village. Marked hiking trails follow the river through oak and chestnut forest, past old paper mills and kingfisher-haunted pools that few foreign visitors ever find.
The Gorges & Wildlife
The Gorges de l'Auvézère between Cherveix-Cubas and Clermont-d'Excideuil are protected as a natural site and support populations of otters, kingfishers and grey herons along the riverbanks. The water runs clear and fast over pale limestone slabs, and in summer the swimming holes near the old Moulin de la Forge are irresistible.
The forest above the gorge is ancient chestnut and sessile oak, carpeted in spring with wood anemones and wild garlic. In autumn the colours are exceptional — amber and copper foliage reflected in still pools of the river make for some of the most painterly landscapes in the Dordogne.
Walking Routes
The GR 646 long-distance trail passes through the valley and connects to Hautefort via a waymarked 12-kilometre loop that takes roughly three and a half hours at a comfortable pace. The route passes the ruined Moulin du Pervendoux, a 15th-century paper mill whose walls are slowly being reclaimed by ferns and ivy.
For a shorter outing, park at the Cherveix-Cubas village car park and follow the blue-waymarked trail downstream for 4 kilometres to the Moulin de la Forge swimming spot, then return the same way. This two-hour round trip is suitable for families with older children.
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