Dordogne lifeline

In a two-part documentary series, filmmaker Michael Trabitzsch embarks on a journey of discovery along the Dordogne through the southwest of France. On the almost 490 km that the river overcomes from its source to its mouth, it flows through multifaceted landscapes - from dramatically rugged in the volcanic mountains to romantic and historic in the Périgord to lovely-rich in the wine-growing regions of Bergerac. The Dordogne rises at the Puy de Sancy, the highest point of the French Massif Central. From there it makes its way through barren, wild gorges, feeds huge dams and hydroelectric power plants and passes breathtaking castles such as the Château de Montfort. Before the chapel of Rocamadour, which merges with the rock face, opens its doors, it goes underground to the Gouffre de Padriac cave with its mystical caves and the underground river, which in turn flows into the Dordogne.

In the second episode, the journey continues downstream along romantic castles, medieval villages and impressive hanging gardens. Before the Dordogne flows into the Atlantic Ocean at the confluence of the Garonne in a huge delta, it crosses the scenic Périgord with its important town of Bergerac.