Category: Tourism

WALKING around Belvès, in the Dordogne, this morning and the excitement was building in the village before the start of this year’s Félibrée celebrations.

(more…)

Updated 29/10/2016

FOR something the size of a hydroelectric plant, the Tuilières dam in the Dordogne keeps its visitor centre pretty well hidden.

The dam and adjoining fish ladder, or more accurately fish lift, are found on the D660 between Lalinde and Bergerac and after stopping in a small car park, you walk over a bridge across the canal and then you will see a number of information panels near the main power hall.

(more…)

Updated 29/10/2016

THERE are some seriously spiky machines in the Filature de Belvès, but they are not there to squeeze out a confession, only to start the process of spinning wool.

The spinning mill sits beneath the hill on top of which stands the Dordogne town of Belvès, and it produced yarns up until the 1990s, now it traces the history of a once important industry in the region.

(more…)

• 
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

TAKE a peaceful stroll around the small Dordogne village of Prats-du-Périgord*, but keep an eye out for the speedy Nordic Walkers as they stride past.

There are a number of walks around the quiet village of Prats-du-Périgord that take you up and down the gentle surrounding hills, through thick woods and along shaded paths.

(more…)

IT is châtaigne time around the corner of south west France where I live, with people gathering in the nuts and popular fêtes set to take place.

(more…)

GLIDING through the water in your canoe as you pass the turrets and towers of Castlenaud on the river Dordogne, all you can hear is the splash of your oar as you head downstream.

With the holiday season coming to an end, and the sun still warm on your back, now seemed a good time to take a trip down the river from Vitrac to Beynac.

(more…)

YOU can take a virtual tour of the Grotte de Lascaux in a great 3D representation of the famous caves.

Travel through the Hall of the Bulls, and see the deer, bison and men painted on the walls thousands of years ago.

(more…)

I’M not the only one who’s dreamt of cycling through the French backroads, writes Christopher Strong. And, I know I’m not the only one who’s done it spontaneously, with no fixed itinerary.

But, in all modesty, I may be the only one who’s done it five months a year for five years to produce a television series and, as a result, now lives in the country of my dreams.

(more…)

WITH the diabolical sterling to euro exchange rate reducing pension and investment income by 25 per cent, expats living in the l’Hexagon are tighteningn their belts and thinking twice before lunching out in the best restaurants and enjoying evenings at the theatre, writes Beryl Brennan.

So here is a suggestion for an inexpensive excursion on a fine day – a walk round Niort, especially pleasant on Sundays, when the streets are empty!

Niort has its origins in the 7th Century, when a small bridge was built over the Sèvre and was named ‘new ford’. The village became known as Novioritum and then Niort.

(more…)

THE past few months has seen a number of airlines and travel firms close down, often leaving holiday makers stranded far from home.

And with the growing appeal of booking separate parts of a holiday to France to cut costs, difficulties can arise if one part of your trip goes astray as the knock-on effects on the other sections of your holiday can see you out of pocket.

Some simple tips offered by Consumer Direct, which is part of the Office of Fair Trading, may help you decide on the best travel plans as well as holiday choices so that you are not still paying for your trip long after you have returned.

(more…)