Unesco honour for Dordogne

THE DORDOGNE river basin has been named a Unesco biosphere reserve.

The labelled area – 24,000 square kilometres – joins 10 other areas of natural heritage in France to have been so designated in the past. They include the Mont Ventoux in the Vaucluse, the Cévennes and the Camargue.

The Dordogne has its source at Puy de Sancy and crosses six departments, including the south of the Corrèze.

Unesco recognised the area as being remarkable for its well-preserved natural setting and the exceptional cultural heritage and art de vivre linked to it.

It says: “The economy of its basin, largely based on tourism, agriculture and forestry, but also industry, benefits from its natural resources, the beauty of the scenery and the prestigious image given by the Dordogne and its many tributaries.”

The aim of the labelling, says Unesco, is to encourage people to “maintain the symbiosis between nature and man which characterises the Dordogne basin”; and to “stimulate [people’s] imagination and energy” to make sure progress goes hand in hand with respect for the environment.