The Tourist Sites in the Périgord Pourpre

Are you coming on holiday to the Dordogne and wondering what are the best things to visit in the Périgord Pourpre ? Check out our pages which provide information on the biggest tourist sites, the must-sees, the castles and the cultural visits when you are on holiday around Bergerac ! A bit of culture, sport, leisure, gastronomy for a well-filled holiday in the Dordogne.

The Bergerac Duras Wine House: Le Quai Cyrano

To find out everything about the region's wines, wine tourism tours, castles and the Bergerac Duras Wine Route : This is the place to go. Located on the quays, at the entrance to the town (opposite the Gabarres) you can't miss it and the Tourist Office is in the same place. It is possible to buy bottles, do tastings, in short it is a small City of Wine!

The Gabarres of Bergerac and Creysse

It's not really a visit, but rather an unmissable experience to live : A Gabarre ride on the Dordogne, it's an institution! And in Bergerac, it's also accompanied by a tasting of Bergerac Duras wine on the waves. Here, no castle, we're going to walk on the Dordogne in a very natural and preserved portion, to discover the fauna, the flora and with a friendly and smiling team. From Creysse, departures take place in the summer.

Bridoire Castle

Located 12km south of Bergerac (Dordogne), in the commune of Ribagnac, the Château de Bridoire is in the heart of lush countryside away from the main roads, but a stone's throw from the famous vineyards of Bergerac and Monbazillac.

The castle grounds cover 40 hectares of parkland with remarkable trees. Its beautiful architecture, restored and rebuilt in the 19th century, dates from the 16th and 17th centuries. The retaining walls of the north façade date from the 14th century. Their strength bears witness to the defensive purpose of this castle. It was inhabited from 1806 to 1938 by the Foucaulds, a family famous for having given modern times one of its most illustrious religious figures: Father Charles de Foucauld. He celebrated the service in the chapel of the castle built, with a gallery for the lord, in the 19th century. After tumultuous years, the castle experienced a superb renaissance under the impetus of its new owners.

The Château de Bridoire is the Château des Jeux. It is a place appreciated by the whole family where in the park, but also its outbuildings and inside the castle, there are more than a hundred wooden games, of skill, reflection, physical and sports. In the summer, the labyrinth offers a walk as natural as it is fun, with puzzles and the discovery of the surrounding natural heritage. Shows and entertainment take place in the summer season.

MONBAZILLAC CASTLE (16th CENTURY)

All the charm of Périgord at the gates of Bergerac. Built on the hill, the castle of Monbazillac watches over the prestigious vineyard of Monbazillac. Its elegant silhouette emerges from an ocean of vines. The cooperative cellar of Monbazillac, which restored it, is the owner.

Château de Biron (12th-18th centuries)

Perched on top of a "puy", the castle of Biron raises the enormous mass of its towers and its defensive terraces on the edge of Périgord and Agenais. Biron was the seat of one of the four baronies of Périgord.

Montreal Castle in Issac (12th and 16th centuries)

This half-feudal, half-Renaissance building, surrounded by beautiful outbuildings, stands at the top of a hill overlooking the Crempse.

According to tradition, it is to the Lord of Montreal, Claude de Pontbriand, companion of Jacques Cartier during his second voyage to Canada, that the city built on the Saint Lawrence owes its name.

Read the report from the Périgord Guide at the Château de Montréal and consult the information sheet to find out more about schedules and prices.

Saint Michel de Montaigne Castle (Montaigne Country 12th and 15th centuries)

The castle of Saint-Michel de Montaigne, which belonged to Michel Eyquem, Lord of Montaigne (1533-1592), is located in Périgord, at the gates of Bergerac and Saint Émilion, in the heart of a majestic park.

On this site, since the 14th century, there has stood a castle which has been remodeled several times and partially rebuilt following the fire which ravaged it in 1885.

Private inhabited property, it is not open to visitors. Only the Tower, spared by the flames, is open to visitors. Montaigne made it his refuge. On the ground floor, the chapel dedicated to Saint Michael. On the 1st floor, the room where he breathed his last. On the top floor, the Bookstore where he forever fixed his Humanist thought through 57 Greek and Latin sentences painted on the ceiling beams, and where he wrote his Essays between 1571 and 1592.

The guided tour of the Tower is an invitation to follow in the footsteps of the famous philosopher, through a complete evocation of his life, his era, his work and his thoughts.

Château de Lanquais 15 km from Bergerac (The unfinished Louvre of Périgord)

Towers, patrol paths and machicolations bear witness to the power of the fortified castle that Lanquais was during the Hundred Years' War. A symbol of power and grandeur in Périgord, a prestigious Renaissance palace adjoining it was built by the builders of the Louvre, Palace of the Kings of France.

During the visit you will experience the daily life of the inhabitants of Lanquais from the Middle Ages to the Renaissance.

Discover their furnished apartments decorated with sumptuous carved stone fireplaces, the old kitchens or the weapons room . A return to a past still present in Lanquais.

Bannes Castle

A big favorite for this magnificent feudal fortress, perfectly restored, enthroned on its rocky spur between Couze and Beaumont. Built for the Bishop of Sarlat in the 14th century, Le Château de Banne is today a private property that unfortunately can no longer be visited but is however perfectly maintained! The castle is accessible by a drawbridge. Inside, one of the most beautiful and monumental French chimneys.

Gageac Castle

Reinforced in the 14th century to become a stronghold, the Château de Gageac was originally a 12th century watchtower dependent on Duras. During the Hundred Years' War, Du Guesclin besieged it for 5 days. In the 17th and 18th centuries, it was transformed into a residence and equipped with a remarkable bell tower. The castle is located in the heart of the Saussignac vineyard, it can be visited in July and August, except on Tuesdays.

We wish you a very good holiday in Périgord Pourpre. There are obviously many other sites, this list cannot be exhaustive. We invite you to consult the blog of the Périgord Guide to find other activities to do with family, experiences, discoveries, the Périgord is endless!