This series of guide books covers the whole of France, region by region. They are designed as practical reference books and each contains an account of the region's history, a section on food and drink and a narrative tour of the region's notable features - cities, villages, chateaux, churches, monuments and areas of natural beauty. This guide covers the Dordogne and Lot, areas of rural France which although once known only to the French are now regarded by the authors as one of the most desirable places in Europe for a holiday. The Departement of the Dordogne was created in 1790 and is the third biggest in France, although the local people still call the Department Perigord and refer only to the river as the Dordogne. The area is predominantly a farming one and the Dordogne is the leading strawberry producer in France. There are many beauty spots, not least the river which is used for watersports in places, and the many castles originally built for war and defence. Visitors can stay on campsites, in little family-run hotels, but especially in gites - converted farmhouses. Other titles in the series include guides to the Loire Valley, Languedoc and Roussillon and Auvergne and the Massif Central.