Places to Visit: Brantome, Bordeilles, Villars & more!

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The Perigord Vert is a crescent shaped area covering the North of the department of the Dordogne. The author, Jules Verne, gave it the name ‘Perigord Vert’ during his travels in the area. Its hills and climate combine with the impermeable soil to produce an all year round greenery of growth, even in the driest of summers. Water is all around. From everywhere streams flow towards the Bandiat, the Tardoire or converge on the Dronne, the Cole, the Isle or the Auvezere.

The Dordogne is a land packed with history and tradition and is part of the Aquitaine, containing several of ‘the Most Beautiful Villages’ in France. Nature has also been generous here, offering a variety of idyllic landscapes around the turn of each hill, in the heart of each valley and along the streams that flow through them. There is, as you will discover a magical, almost magnetic quality about Perigord Vert.

The Perigord is traditionally a ‘Land of Welcome’. Faithful to this, our golden rule is hospitality! We will help you share the Perigords past, savour its cuisine and experience the charm and tranquillity of its countryside.

Villars is close to the beautiful town of Brantome, a stopping point along the Way of St James – one of the medieval pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostella in north western Spain, where legend has it that the remains of St James are buried. This route, known as the ‘Chemin de Vezalay’, starts in Namur, Belgium. The Abbey in Brantome was founded by Charlemagne and, no doubt, many medieval pilgrims passed through Villars with its Cistercian Abbaye de Boschaud. This is certainly borne out by the beautiful large scallop shell, prominently carved over the main entrance to Villars’ medieval church, St Martial. The scallop shell is the traditional emblem of St. James and medieval Christians en route to Santiago de Compostela would carry a shell and often wear this emblem.

The excellent location of Villars enables guests to see the area and its treasures without spending hours traveling. There’s not enough time to see everything & to relax as well – so guests return, year after year!

Each holiday we provide three trips out as part of your holiday without extra charge.  So you could find yourself on your way to any of the places which we describe on this page (the links for further information are at the bottom of the page).  And you could  even find yourself canoeing down the Dronne River, Velorailing or going to a local Market, Brocante or other special event during your holiday!

A few of the locations do have entrance fees – such as the Gardens, Chateaux and the Grottes de Villars.

The Villars caves, Chateau de Puyguilhem, Abbey de Boschaud and the ancient village church St Martial are all within walking distance. Brantome, Bordeilles, Nontron, St Jean de Cole, La Chapelle Faucher to name a few, are within 10 minutes drive and, of course, all around us is the most idyllic countryside. Within striking distance are places to fish, canoe and kayak, the gardens at Eyrinac, Lascaux, Sarlat, Chateau de Hautefort, and the races and stud farm at Pompadour.  And since we love Bordeaux so much, perhaps you can extend your holiday and spend a few days there as well!

Gluten Free in France has never been more fun!

Classified as one of the Most Beautiful Villages in France, St Jean de Cole is justly proud of its 11th Century Byzantine church, the Chateau de la Marthonie, the cloisters, stone bridges and picturesque houses and roofs. In May it hosts a renowned flower show and during the summer months there are musical concerts and recitals held in the church. It’s a lovely place to browse around, with craft and gift shops and some good restaurants.

The caves here at Villars are a maze of some 13 kms of tunnel and form the largest underground network in the Périgord. Inhabited since prehistory, there are fine examples of Aurignacian painting, bison, antelope and witches and the famous Magdalenian white horse. The stalactites and stalagmites are spectacular.  The intimacy of the caves make the Grottes a special place to visit!

This incredible Chateau was built during the sixteenth century by a courtier of Francois I. Designed to rival and in the style of the great Loire Chateaux. It is today the best preserved Chateau in the Perigord. Rich in sculpture and decoration it provides a record of the enormous talents of its builders.

The drive to Jumilhac is magical, often along the banks of the River Isle, then climbing to the town of Jumilhac. The Chateau has stood for centuries and is now known to have been a centre of alchemy in the 17th century, with splendid symbolism on its rooftops. The tour of the Chateau is most interesting and the gardens are also open to the public in the summer months.

Capital of the Dordogne, the city has been a major centre since Roman times. Roman ruins are scattered throughout and a new museum highlights the best. After the Hundred Years War the city enjoyed prosperity brought about by the many rich merchants who lived here. The beautifully preserved Medieval old town is full of charm. Narrow alleys packed with boutiques, bars and cafes lead onto many squares where one can observe the more bourgeois side of French life.  There is a market most days but those on Saturday and Wednesday are the largest.  We often combine a visit to Perigueux with a visit on the return journey to Abbaye de Chancelade.

The Venice of the Perigord. Due to the convergence of two rivers an Island was formed, Brantôme occupies this island. Undoubtedly a highlight of the area. Friday is market day and in the morning stalls fill the town, even stretching across some of the many bridges. This clears in the afternoon to reveal a truly picturesque sight. Brantôme has many interesting shops, the Abbey with the oldest bell tower in France, troglodyte caves and much more.

An incredibly quaint village set on the banks of the river Dronne. An ancient bridge crosses the Dronne past the water mill, built in the shape of a boat. The village clusters on the hillside with the castle compound on the summit. The compound consists of a medieval castle and a beautiful renaissance Chateau. The Chateau is full of remarkable furniture and tapestries.

Links

Perigord Dronne Belle (our tourist office) www.perigord-dronne-belle.fr

Bergerac (www.pays-de-bergerac-com)
Brantome (www.ville-brantome.fr)  *   Brantome(www.Brantome-en-Perigord.fr) * Brantome (www.brantome.info)
Dordogne (www.dordognedirectory.com)
Limoges (www.ville-limoges.fr)
Perigueux (www.tourisme-perigueux.fr and www.ville-perigueux.fr)
St.Jean de Cole (www.ville-saint-jean-de-cole.fr)
Thiviers (www.thiviers.fr)
Villars (www.villarstourisme.com)
Villars Caves (www.grotte-villars.com)
Villars: Chateau de Puyguilhem (puyguilhem.monuments-nationaux.fr/en/)
Chateau de Hautefort (www.chateau-hautefort.com) *Jumilhac-le-Grand (www.chateaux-france.com/jumilhac/)
Les chemins de Saint-Jacques de Compostelle (www.chemins-compostelle.com)
Brantome Kayak/Canoe (www.brantomecanoe.com)