There are a wealth of attractive villages and towns just waiting to be explored nearby. The Dordogne boasts as many as 100 châteaux, ranging from ruins to châteaux that are still inhabited.  Many have dramatic settings with splendid views over the river.  The history is fascinating, dating back to the hundred years' war where the French and English faced each other from their respective sides of the river!

The north-eastern corner of inland Aquitaine (also known as Périgord) has a great deal to offer visitors.  Chateaux, forests and gardens, beautiful medieval towns and villages, unspoilt countryside, rivers and caves, and much more besides.  Discover the renowned Lascaux caves and go via Périgueux and the Gouffre de Padirac to Rocamadour, Marqueyssac and Sarlat, and the Vézère Valley, only a few of the most widely visited sights.  It is however the places in between these 'hot-spots' that will stay longest in your memory, perhaps the coffee in a small village, or the walk along a stream with no-one else in sight.

Brantôme			Brantôme
Within 10 minutes drive (10 kms) lies the celebrated island town of Brantôme, which boasts a wide selection of restaurants, art exhibitions and various leisure/cultural events, shops, banks and a busy weekly market.			Another favourite view of Brantôme.
Click here for a larger image of Brantôme ~ The Venice of The Dordogne!			Click here for a larger image
Brantôme			Mareuil-sur-Belle
Yet another view of Brantôme - simply beautiful.			The Chateau in the village of Mareuil-sur-Belle is being renovated and is 8 kms from the property and offers its own busy weekly market, restaurants, pavement cafes, a bank, butchers, boulangeries, a chemist, a post office, tourist information centre and a small supermarket.
Click here for a larger image
Sarlat			Beynac
Walk down the cobblestoned town square of medieval Sarlat with sandstone structures, all capped by high-pitched limestone roofs. Delight in the fairytale setting. Sarlat has been inhabited since Roman times, It has been both venerated as a holy place and was torn apart during various wars.  A beautiful place to visit.			The feudal village of Beynac falls down a steep hill from its massive castle to the river far below. You have the Dordogne River at your doorstep, and a preserved medieval village winding down from the place where you beach your canoe to the hill-capped castle above. The floodlit village is always open for evening strollers. The Beynac tourist office, post office, and grocery shop cluster around the village riverside.  Beynac's scenic cafés are on the river below the tourist office and high above, near the castle entry.
Château de Castelnaud			Château de Marqueyssac
Château de Castelnaud is a reconstructed medieval castle, situated in a splendid position overlooking the Dordogne and facing the Château Marqueyssac. It is child oriented with demonstrations of medieval sword fights.			This château situated near Vezac and is superbly located close by the Dordogne river and boasts splendid views of the surrounding area. The gardens attract thousands of visitors each year.
Périgueux			Les Eyzies de Tayac
In the market town of Périgueux (about 25 miles south east of Vieux Mareuil), the capital of the Dordogne, the ancient narrow cobbled streets of the old town and the cathedral are well worth a visit, and there is also a Périgord museum (Musée du Périgord), as well as a good range of cafés, bars, restaurants and shops. The old town buzzes with the market on Wednesday and Saturday mornings.			The heart of the greatest concentration of prehistoric sites. The Musée National de la Prehistoire is built into the cliff face and is devoted to the palaeolithic era, starting perhaps 2.5-3 million years ago with the first traces of primitive man.
Angoulême Visit Angoulême and admire its medieval, renaissance, eighteen and nineteenth century buildings.			Riberac The large Friday morning market at Riberac.
Limeuil Beach Limeuil Beach ~ only one hour south away.  A great day out.			Bourdeilles Bourdeilles is only 15k from Chez Arête and is a village dominated by its imposing medieval fortress and tower which reflect its long and sometimes turbulent past.  The view from the top of the tower is spectacular, taking in a wide sweep of the Dronne Valley and its surroundings.

Many other local towns and villages offer all sorts of delights.  The monolithic church carved out of the rock at Aubeterre, the Grottes de Villars (magnificent underground caves), and the numerous chateaux are among the many sights well worth visiting .

Useful links :

The Dordogne Tourist Office

Monsac Town Hall

North of the Dordogne

South of the Dordogne

An extensive range of brochures/information leaflets showing local amenities/activities/places to visit are available in Chez Arête.

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