Note:
The tourist office in Villebois, opposite the Town Hall, has pamphlets about
many places of interest in the area.
Villars Grotto
(50km)--close to Brantôme:
the largest underground network in the Perigord.
There are huge chambers with impressive stalactites and stalagmites; the chambers
contain prehistoric paintings dating back 17,000 years.
Lascaux--close
to Sarlat: Site of the famous pre-historic cave paintings.
Aubeterre-sur-Dronne
(35km): officially one of the 100 most beautiful villages in France. Not to be missed is the monolithic church dating from the 12th century, which is the biggest underground church in France.
There is a sandy beach for swimming, as well as boating on the river.
Sarlat:
Just 15km from Sarlat is the pre-historic park of Tursac with its reconstruction
of the life of the Neanderthal and Cro-Magnon inhabitants of the region.
Brantôme
(about 45km): A beautiful small town, mostly on an island in the river
Dronne. There is canoeing (contact "Allo Canoës"
at 0553 06 31 85) and an old abbey (seen in the background on the below photo,
on the right).
Périgueux
(about 60km) : An ancient city, with buildings going back to Roman
times. The narrow alleys and old buildings make this a magnificent city to visit.
The cathedral in Périgueux is a world
heritage site.
Bordeaux (about
100km): The centre of the wine-making industry in this region
of France.
St. Emilion:
while part of the Bordeaux region, it is so well known for its wonderful wines
that it deserves a visit. While in the area, make a side-trip to Montcarat where
there is a Gallo-Roman villa, dating to the 1st century, noted for the quality
and extent of its mosaics.
Cognac (about
45 minutes): The place that the most famous of the French brandies
are distilled. Give yourself time to tour one of the distilleries, such as Hennessy.
Limoges: renowned for the magnificent china
produced there.
Dignac: this small village
just 9 km from Villebois is the location of a mediaeval garden. The garden has
herbs and other plants that were used in mediaeval times, and earlier, for food,
medicines, dyes, and even poisons! Entry to the garden is free and can be a
fascinating short trip out.
Spain: although a full day will be needed,
there are some interesting Spanish cities that can be reached within a few hours:
San Sebastian (about 3.5 hours), Bilbao (about 4.5 hours), Pamplona (about 4.5
hours). A possible day out could be to leave around 7:30, drive to Bilbao and
take a look at the Guggenheim museum around lunch-time; stop off in San Sebastian
on the way home in the afternoon and enjoy a tapas bar for the delights of Spanish
foods, and still get back to Villebois in the late evening. Or, instead of Bilbao,
why not go to see where the "running of the bulls" takes place in
Pamplona, still returning via San Sebastian?
Guggenheim Museum Bilbao
Pamplona
A Tapas Bar in San Sebastian
|
|
