Local Area Information

Brantôme is one of the prettiest and most visited towns in the Dordogne. Spend some time exploring its cobblestone streets, magnificent abbey and riverside park. Enjoy some of the delicious gastronomy on offer and watch the river jousting on a summer's evening.

Within 20 minutes drive there is a beautiful lake beach at Grand Etang Saint-Estephe. It has a white sandy beach, lovely café bars, and beautiful walkways around the lake. You can fish, go boating, play tennis, go horse riding and ride a bike trail.

About 45 mins away is La Jemaye a little further than Riberac. This beautiful lake is set in the middle of a huge forest, and has its own beach, a children’s play area, picnic areas, several restaurants, and showers to clean up after a swim!

There are also plenty of things to do and see in the surrounding areas.

For the active, one of the most enjoyable things to do is to hire a canoe for an hour, two hours or a half-day and paddle around Brantôme, and/or upriver, or downriver to the pretty historic town of Bourdeilles.

Another option is to canoe down past a glorious series of chateaux, about an hours drive from Brantôme. Or take a walk around the town, and see some of the most beautiful scenery you have ever seen.

You can glide over Brantôme and surroundings on an altiplane, or hire a bicycle in Brantôme itself (near Aldi) or for just over 10E a day in nearby St-Julien-de-Bourdeilles, just 5 minutes by car from Brantôme. Cycle the beautiful 'Voie Verts' in the region, a network of 'green routes'. The routes can only be used by pedestrians, cyclists, horse riders. All motorised vehicles are not allowed. The routes are therefore safe and ideal for use by families and those with young children. Route maps are available from the tourist office in Brantome.

No visit would be complete without visiting St-Jean-de-Côle, to enjoy a meal in one of the restaurants surrounding the huge Roman church that crowns this pretty village. Further away you can enjoy ancient Roman ruins in Perigueux, the capital of the Périgord, while Sarlat and nearby towns, situated in the Périgord Noir about an hour away, will enthral you with their beautiful chateaux, villages and fortified ruins.