Food and Wine Lovers' Paradise:
The Dordogne is an excellent area for getting away from the tourist crowds with the best of French scenery and superb food and drink. It is a wine-lovers paradise, 13 AOC wines including Bergerac, Pecharmant and Monbazillac which are just minutes away from the house and St Emilion and the other classic Bordeaux regions just a little further afield. Follow one of the many Routes des Vins and sample the wines with the friendly winemakers.
As for restaurants, you are spoilt for choice! In Bergerac there is a terrific selection from small relaxed family-run brasseries to the more formal places. Just a few minutes away towards Monbazillac are two great places with top-quality menus at just 23-28Euro and there are many more great places that we can personally recommend (after arduous research!) in the surrounding villages. They offer a great range of dishes to choose from including local specialities confit de canard, foie gras, wild mushrooms, walnuts and truffles.
Bergerac:
Bergerac has much to offer. Walking tours of the Old Town are organised regularly. The old quarter stretches up from the quays through quaint alleys and old squares with many fine stone and half-timbered buildings. From the old quay you can take a short excursion in a gabare, a traditional boat which carried the wine down the Dordogne river to Bordeaux, and enjoy listening to the history of the area. There is a wine museum and also a tobacco museum . There are markets on Tuesdays (organic), Fridays and Saturdays. Cultural events are staged all through the year and concerts, musical events and street parties abound in summer. For clothes shopping Bergerac has the usual high street French shops. For the younger generation there are a few trendy bars (Diablo, La Poissonerie...) to hang out in the evenings. And if you are house-hunting, there are plenty of Agences Immobilieres doing their utmost to tempt you to settle in the area and live the French dream!
Further afield:
A few miles away are the picturesque bastide towns such as Domme, Issigeac & Eymet. Why not go to the night markets held in the squares where you can eat & buy local produce? For those interested in mankind's early history, you are in one of the best regions in Europe with the famous prehistoric caves of Lascaux & Les Eyzies nearby. Or maybe you just want to drive around enjoying the scenery, stopping off for lunch or reviving drink when the fancy takes you? Places to visit include Sarlat & the many medieval fortresses & chateaux like Beynac, Castelnau, Montbazillac & Lanquais. For something slightly more energetic you can canoe down the Dordogne or Vezere which is great fun for all the family (experience not necessary!) or maybe try go-karting (track nearby), & for golfers, you can enjoy the many golf courses nearby such as Chateau des Vigiers (Monestier), Chateau les Merles (Mouleydier) St Felix-de-Reihac, Siorac, Le Bugue & Domaine de Rochebois (Vitrac).
Other Activities:
Canoeing, wine-tasting, gastronomy
