Local towns and half day trips

(** are our favourites and strongly recommended)

**Aubeterre

It is another of the prettiest villages in France. Balconied houses in the old style adorn the town, which lies on the ancient pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela, one of the three spiritual capitals of Christendom. There are several good restaurants, small shops, antique stores and a puppet theatre. There is a pleasant riverside beach with good leisure activities and canoe hire. The most important place to visit is the Eglise Monolithique, cut from a single stone into a cave by the Benedictine monks in the 12th century. The 20 metre vault makes it the largest monolithic church in France. Open in 930 -1230 and 14-18. Also worth a visit is the Eglise St Jacuques built in the style of Constantine's Arch in Rome and decorated with Islamic style geometric motifs.

** Brantome

(can be combined with Bourdeilles or Puyguilhem for a full day)
Located on the banks of the Dronne River, Brantome is one of the most attractive towns in the region. The ancient dwelling built by Bendictine monks in the 8 th century is well worth a visit. The Abbey Church was built in the 11 th century, with one of the oldest Romanesque bell-towers in France. The town is full of interesting shops and good restaurants.

Bourdeilles

(can be combined with Brantome for a full day)
A picturesque village clustered at the foot of an impressive chateau built on rocks high above Dronne River. The Renaissance chateau (16 th century) is adjacent to the older medieval edifice, built from the 13 th century to the 15 th century.

** Chateau Puyguilbem

A spectacular Renaissance chateau which resembles the great chateaux of the Loire Valley. It is well worth a visit, both inside and out. Open for tours 10-1230 and 13-19 except Mondays, high season.

Grotte Villars

The prehistoric caves are a maze of about 13kms of tunnels and form the largest underground network in the Perigord. The caves were inhabited thousands of years ago and have fine examples of wall paintings, including the famous Magdalenian white horse. The spectacular stalactites and stalagmitesare beautiful. Open for tours 10-12 and 14-19.

St Jean de Cole

(can be combined with Puyguilhem and/or the Grotte de Villars for a full day trip)
Located on the Cole River, it is listed as one of the lovelist villages in France. The main square is surrounded by half-timbered houses, a covered market place, a 12 th century church and a 16 th century chateau. Unfortunately, the chateau is only open in July and August. It is a lovely place to browse the craft and gift shops and some good restaurants.

Chateau Mareuil

One of the four ruling baronies of Perigord, it is a striking ruin of a fortified chateau. It has been in a state of partial disrepair since we moved to the region. The tours are only available in French.

** Riberac

The county seat of our area, it has one of the best markets in the area on Friday morning. It is a must for everyone. You can buy seafood from Bordeaux and the old port of La Rochelle, fruits and vegetables direct from the farmer, and local goat cheese to Pyrennes mountain cheeses. Also available are clothes, plants, farm animals, kitchenware and handicrafts. The market opens at 6.30am and closes promptly at noon and can be quite crowded after 10. It is worth an early start. You can also rent canoes here to travel on the Dronne River.

Verteillac

Located only 15 minutes away, it is a small town with an old barn full of antiques, Merlaud’s, a smallish store that sells almost everything that you might need and a lot you don’t, and an ATM machine. There is a tiny bar with tables outside where you can enjoy a cold beer.

St Severin

This is the closest town to the chateau, with a small supermarket, post office, butcher, bakery, news shop, banks and several other stores. You can walk to the small supermarket.

Villebois Lavalette

A nearby town on the road to Angouleme where we do much of our food shopping. It has several excellent bakeries, one of which is also a chocolate shop with a surprising resemblance to the one in the movie ‘Chocolat’. The chateau is currently being renovated and has recently been opened to the public. There is a beautiful covered market place in the centre of town.

Angouleme (the local TGV high speed train station)

This is the largest nearby city. The old town crowns a hill with a superb view of the valley between the Charente and Anguienne Rivers and is surrounded by 3 kms of medieval ramparts. The Cathedral of St Pierre is a fine example of Romanesque architecture. There is a covered food market every morning. It is popular as a supplier to the local grocers so starts early.

Chalais

Monday is market day where the market takes over the streets of the town for the morning. There is a pretty chateau on a hill above the town with one of the finest restaurants in the area.