Périgueux and Poitiers for two weeks?
May 17th, 2024, 07:27 PM
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Périgueux and Poitiers for two weeks?
After time in Bordeaux and the Medoc with family this June, I am looking to find a less traveled town to explore - soak up some medieval history, take long walks, read in cafes, relax. Périgueux and Poitiers seem to fit that brief and are easily accessible via train. Is a week or so in each place too much? I will be without a car but will happily take trains for day trips to sites or hikes. Is Limoges worth an overnight in between? Many thanks and all suggestions are welcomed.
May 17th, 2024, 08:41 PM
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Two of my favorite under-rated cities.
Here is something I did for a friend:
Saturday Sept 9
Poitiers** pg 296 in the Michelin Green Guide, 1 ¾ hrs away. Map 322. One of our favorites. Best on Saturday!!
Park the car in one of the lots near the train station, and then walk up a few uphill-roads & stairs to the center of town. The very first thing you should do is to go to the tourist office & get a walking map of Poitiers. There are three different routes in town all marked with a different color painted as a stripe on the sidewalk - which you can follow.
- Medieval Poitiers
- Renaissance Poitiers
- Some other period of history - I forget which one.
Chauvigny* pg 319. We did not go into the chateau, but this was a very nice village to wander through.
And another itinerary for a the same friend around Perigueux:
Perigueux region
Wednesday Sept 13
Head east on the N141, then south on the D674 (marked in purple), and finally the D10 to
Aubeterre sur Dronne**# pg 504. Visit.
Switch to map 329 and the Dordogne Green Guide.
Next, follow the orange route through (and visit):
Cumond# pg 180, Vanxains# pg 180, Riberac# pg 179, Lusignac# pg 182, La Tour Blanche# pg 182, and finally to a hotel near Perigueux.
You may not get to all these sites today – or you may become tired of driving.
We plan on staying at this hotel near Perigueux
https://www.chateau-lalande-perigord.com/
or this one
http://www.chateau-hotel-perigord.com/
Thursday Sept 14
Head north on the D939 to Brantome** pg 176 & visit.
DO NOT visit Brantome on Friday – their market day.
Belfry**# check to determine if it is open
Head east on the yellow-marked D78 to St Jean de Cole* pg 191 & visit.
Now visit the nearby Grotte de Villars** pg 178.
Grotte de Villars ? Visitez la Grotte de Villars près de Brantôme en Dordogne en plein c?ur du Périgord
Then nearby Chateau de Puyguilhem* pg 178 open 10-12 2-4:15
https://www.chateau-puyguilhem.fr/en/
Coordinate your visit to St Jean, Villars, and Puyguilhem around your scheduled tours of the Grotte & the Chateau (you may need to reserve ahead).
Continue east on the yellow-marked D707, then the N21/D78 to Jumilhac le Grande+ pg 188
The chateau may not be open. Call or check their web site castle of Jumilhac - Dordogne - Périgord - France
Head back to your hotel on the N21.
If you did not visit some of these sites today, you could visit them on Saturday morning before heading to the next gite in Cenac.
If you did visit these sites today (or visited all you wanted to visit), you could attend the excellent Saturday morning farmer’s market in Perigueux.
Friday Sept 15
Perigueux** pg 190. Half day. Park the car where I have written “park” on the GG map.
Follow the 2 walking itineraries in the GG
Read up on the 2 museums# in the GG to determine of you want to visit either of them.
Chateau Bourdeilles* pg 184 open 10-1 2-6 https://www.chateau-bourdeilles.fr/en
Take the D939 north towards Brantome. Head southwest from Brantome along the Dronne River, on the north side of the river on the D78 (route marked in purple). The D78 and the signs directing you to Bourdeilles will have you crossing the Dronne prior to getting to Bourdeilles – do not cross the river yet. Instead, continue on the north side of the river on the smaller D106E2. You will eventually pass Bourdeilles and reach a bridge over the river. You cannot drive a car on this bridge, however. Park the car & walk over the bridge, past some interesting houses, and then on to the Chateau & village. After visiting the Chateau (we were underwhelmed by the interior) continue west on the small road (thru Creyssac) along the Dronne. When it hits the D2, turn right (away from the river) and then immediately left on C1 (not marked on my Michelin map) and continue along the Dronne. There are some very interesting troglodyte caves along this section. Continue on the north side of the river, turning south at Montagrier to cross the river at Tocane St. Apre.
In Tocane, visit the Musee du Costume# https://musee-tocane.fr/ . Open 2:30-6:30
Stu Dudley
Here is something I did for a friend:
Saturday Sept 9
Poitiers** pg 296 in the Michelin Green Guide, 1 ¾ hrs away. Map 322. One of our favorites. Best on Saturday!!
Park the car in one of the lots near the train station, and then walk up a few uphill-roads & stairs to the center of town. The very first thing you should do is to go to the tourist office & get a walking map of Poitiers. There are three different routes in town all marked with a different color painted as a stripe on the sidewalk - which you can follow.
- Medieval Poitiers
- Renaissance Poitiers
- Some other period of history - I forget which one.
Chauvigny* pg 319. We did not go into the chateau, but this was a very nice village to wander through.
And another itinerary for a the same friend around Perigueux:
Perigueux region
Wednesday Sept 13
Head east on the N141, then south on the D674 (marked in purple), and finally the D10 to
Aubeterre sur Dronne**# pg 504. Visit.
Switch to map 329 and the Dordogne Green Guide.
Next, follow the orange route through (and visit):
Cumond# pg 180, Vanxains# pg 180, Riberac# pg 179, Lusignac# pg 182, La Tour Blanche# pg 182, and finally to a hotel near Perigueux.
You may not get to all these sites today – or you may become tired of driving.
We plan on staying at this hotel near Perigueux
https://www.chateau-lalande-perigord.com/
or this one
http://www.chateau-hotel-perigord.com/
Thursday Sept 14
Head north on the D939 to Brantome** pg 176 & visit.
DO NOT visit Brantome on Friday – their market day.
Belfry**# check to determine if it is open
Head east on the yellow-marked D78 to St Jean de Cole* pg 191 & visit.
Now visit the nearby Grotte de Villars** pg 178.
Grotte de Villars ? Visitez la Grotte de Villars près de Brantôme en Dordogne en plein c?ur du Périgord
Then nearby Chateau de Puyguilhem* pg 178 open 10-12 2-4:15
https://www.chateau-puyguilhem.fr/en/
Coordinate your visit to St Jean, Villars, and Puyguilhem around your scheduled tours of the Grotte & the Chateau (you may need to reserve ahead).
Continue east on the yellow-marked D707, then the N21/D78 to Jumilhac le Grande+ pg 188
The chateau may not be open. Call or check their web site castle of Jumilhac - Dordogne - Périgord - France
Head back to your hotel on the N21.
If you did not visit some of these sites today, you could visit them on Saturday morning before heading to the next gite in Cenac.
If you did visit these sites today (or visited all you wanted to visit), you could attend the excellent Saturday morning farmer’s market in Perigueux.
Friday Sept 15
Perigueux** pg 190. Half day. Park the car where I have written “park” on the GG map.
Follow the 2 walking itineraries in the GG
Read up on the 2 museums# in the GG to determine of you want to visit either of them.
Chateau Bourdeilles* pg 184 open 10-1 2-6 https://www.chateau-bourdeilles.fr/en
Take the D939 north towards Brantome. Head southwest from Brantome along the Dronne River, on the north side of the river on the D78 (route marked in purple). The D78 and the signs directing you to Bourdeilles will have you crossing the Dronne prior to getting to Bourdeilles – do not cross the river yet. Instead, continue on the north side of the river on the smaller D106E2. You will eventually pass Bourdeilles and reach a bridge over the river. You cannot drive a car on this bridge, however. Park the car & walk over the bridge, past some interesting houses, and then on to the Chateau & village. After visiting the Chateau (we were underwhelmed by the interior) continue west on the small road (thru Creyssac) along the Dronne. When it hits the D2, turn right (away from the river) and then immediately left on C1 (not marked on my Michelin map) and continue along the Dronne. There are some very interesting troglodyte caves along this section. Continue on the north side of the river, turning south at Montagrier to cross the river at Tocane St. Apre.
In Tocane, visit the Musee du Costume# https://musee-tocane.fr/ . Open 2:30-6:30
Stu Dudley
May 17th, 2024, 11:22 PM
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A week for Périgueux is a little much. But being in the hub of the Dordogne, public transportation should be easier and there is probably a bus service that connects Périgueux with Brantôme, for example.
From Brantôme you probably can rent a canoe and go down the river for a couple of hours to Bourdeilles
Limoges requires a two night stay. There;s the old town, and then the cathedral neighborhood, and the national porcelain museum
https://www.musee-adriendubouche.fr/
From Brantôme you probably can rent a canoe and go down the river for a couple of hours to Bourdeilles
Limoges requires a two night stay. There;s the old town, and then the cathedral neighborhood, and the national porcelain museum
https://www.musee-adriendubouche.fr/
May 18th, 2024, 12:09 PM
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Here’s the regional bus map with plenty of services radiating from Perigueux.
https://transports.nouvelle-aquitain...x-Dordogne.pdf
And yes, you can travel by train to Limoges and then Poitiers. You could also stop in Brive la Gaillarde, another under-the-radar gem, but it depends how often you feel like changing hotels in two weeks.
https://transports.nouvelle-aquitain...x-Dordogne.pdf
And yes, you can travel by train to Limoges and then Poitiers. You could also stop in Brive la Gaillarde, another under-the-radar gem, but it depends how often you feel like changing hotels in two weeks.
May 18th, 2024, 02:14 PM
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Stu, I so appreciate all of the detailed information you posted. Thanks to the bus map, Brantôme looks easy to visit via bus and had not been on my radar. Stu, do you agree on Limoges needing two nights? I will confess that the decorative arts don't excite me as much as historical sites.
As for swapping hotels, I tend to enjoy planting myself and taking day trips rather than moving a lot. Pluses and minuses of both, but for now - I am thinking six nights in Perigueux, a stop in Limoges for the resistance Museum and then on to Poitiers - perhaps seven nights here since I am very interested in all of the 12th century history around that area.
Any suggestions on food? I've booked a meal at L'Essential in Périgueux....
As for swapping hotels, I tend to enjoy planting myself and taking day trips rather than moving a lot. Pluses and minuses of both, but for now - I am thinking six nights in Perigueux, a stop in Limoges for the resistance Museum and then on to Poitiers - perhaps seven nights here since I am very interested in all of the 12th century history around that area.
Any suggestions on food? I've booked a meal at L'Essential in Périgueux....
May 18th, 2024, 03:52 PM
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""Stu, do you agree on Limoges needing two nights? I will confess that the decorative arts don't excite me as much as historical sites.""
We have not visited Limoges in 4 decades. We are staying in a gite near Cognac for 2 weeks this September, and I plan on visiting Limoges then. Wife is a big decorative arts fan - but I didn't fine much else of interest when I was researching this upcoming trip. There are some "scenic drives" in the region - but that's all.
Stu Dudley
We have not visited Limoges in 4 decades. We are staying in a gite near Cognac for 2 weeks this September, and I plan on visiting Limoges then. Wife is a big decorative arts fan - but I didn't fine much else of interest when I was researching this upcoming trip. There are some "scenic drives" in the region - but that's all.
Stu Dudley
