Bed and Breakfast in Sainte-Alvere, Dordogne
Please find below a few places that are well worth a visit!
As we mentioned earlier, Sainte-Alvere is a very tranquil, peaceful village, other than on a Friday night when all the locals, visitors and neighbouring villages gather at our local Bar Tabac, where people bring along their guitars, even drums and organs on occasions, and belt out some tunes for us come rain or shine, although it is far better on a beautiful summers evening. We are very lucky to have some very talented people in our area.
Tour de France
For the Tour de France route this year, please clickTour de France for more information.
Water Parks
There are two fantastic water parks very close by, Saint Avit Loisirs which is 4.5km (3 miles) away, and open between 1st April and 23rd September where you can use their facilities and get lunch.
And also Jacquou Parc for children which is 10km (6 miles) away in Le Bugue.
The Local Golf Course
The "Blue Green La Marteries" golf course is very close (10 km) from us.
Truffle Market
The Truffle Market runs from December to February, and the small medieval town of Sainte-Alvere is well known for having the only truffle market in the area and is one of the best in France. At 10.00am every Monday in the village square, opposite the church, the tables are laid, the negotiating begins, and by 10.30am almost all of the truffles are sold. The French Black Truffle (Tuber Melanosporum) is the most expensive edible mushroom in the world, and once picked last about a week. Truffles grow close to the roots of trees, the main one being French Oak, and they used to be harvested using a female pig, although this is now less common as the pigs tend to eat them, so now they are using dogs.
Villages and Towns worth a visit!
Limeuil - 13km (8 miles) from Sainte-Alvere
Limeuil is where the joining of two rivers (The Dordogne and Vezere) meet, offering canoeing/kayaking and a river beach, which is an ideal place to cool down. The village is classified as one of "the most beautiful villages of France" with its cobbled street winding up through the village between the honey-coloured houses and scattered pretty gardens.
On the edge of Limeuil, about 1km away is "La Chapelle of St. Martin". This is a 12th century chapel that still has some of its original frescoes inside and is dedicated to Thomas Becket.
Le Bugue - 15km (9 miles) from Sainte-Alvere
Le Bugue is a small attractive market town on the Vezere River. Although it has no particular monuments, its riverside position makes it a very pretty and popular town.
The Grotte de Bara Bahau is on the edge of Le-Bugue and contains a number of engravings made by prehistoric man. Also close by is Gouffre de Proumeyssac with its huge cavern and collection of stalactites.
Lalinde - 17km (11 miles) from Sainte-Alvere
Lalinde is an English bastide founded in 1261 and it was the first of the English bastides to be built. Lalinde is situated between the river Dordogne on one side and an attractive canal on the other. It is still an attractive town even though it suffered in the Hundred Years War and the Wars of Religion, not leaving much of the original medieval town.
Lalinde has a small lake which is a nice place to relax and maybe take a picnic.
Les Eyzies - 25 km (16 miles) from Sainte-Alvere
Les Eyzies is in the heart of the Vezere Valley and surrounded by many caves and prehistoric drawings and remnants, some of the most beautiful to be seen in Europe. It was near Les Eyzies that CroMagnon man was discovered, the three skeletons were discovered at the end of the 19th century, as well as the cave paintings at Font de Gaume, one of the last prehistoric cave-painting sites. It is also home to the National Prehistory Museum and is just a couple of hundred metres from Abri Pataud, a Cromagnon shelter dating back almost 40,000 years.
Saint Cyprien - 27km (17 miles) from Sainte-Alvere
Saint Cyprien has a beautiful old town which winds uphill towards the 12th century belltower and the abbey church. There are many restaurants and bars and a number of boutiques. Heading towards the abbey there is an 18th century Chartreuse (a Perigordian mansion house), which was built for the chief officer of the French Royal Navy. This leads to a house which was used by General Talbot, the Commander of the British troops during the Hundred Years War, who was killed whilst crossing the Dordogne at Lamothe-Montravel in 1453. The battle of Castillon took place the following day and without their Chief, the british forces were defeated and the Hundred Years War came to an end.
Bergerac - 32km (20 miles) from Sainte-Alvere
Bergerac is found on the northern bank of the Dordogne River. The highlight of a trip to Bergerac is the old town, as well as having a variety of boutique shops, cafes and restaurants, there is interesting architecture. Maison de Vins de Bergerac is worth a visit, it is a beautiful old cloister dating back to the 12th century, and in the summer months occasional concerts take place there. The National Tobacco Museum is also based in Bergerac, as Tobacco is still an important crop in the region.
Perigueux - 35km (22 miles) from Sainte-Alvere
Perigueux has been in existence since neolithic times, and later became an important Roman centre. The town suffered in the Middle Ages with the Hundred Years War, but in the 16th century it had a rebirth. There are many wonderful old buildings to be seen, far too many to list here.
Beynac - 37km (23miles) from Sainte-Alvere
The pretty village of Beynac spreads along the northern bank of the Dordogne river, when reaching the top of the hill you come to the castle which is poised above the village and river. Again Beynac is one of France's most beautiful villages, with plenty of bars and restaurants. Beynac has been featured in a couple of films, Chocolat (with Juliette Binoche) and The Joan of Arc (with Dustin Hoffman).
Lascaux Caves - 47km (29 miles)
Although these caves are only replicas, they are well worth a visit. The replication is amazing and you find it hard to believe that they were painted by pre-historic man.
The caves are full of mysteries, signs and symbols that no one knows the meaning of. The paintings are nearly all of animals. At this time (about 17,000) years ago, the main source of food was reindeer, but there are no reindeer amongst them, hundreds of animals and only 1 man.
Sarlat - 48km (30 miles) from Sainte-Alvere
Sarlat is one of the most famous towns in the Dordogne region, and one of the most attractive, and again far too many interesting things to list.
Eymet - 54km (34 miles) from Sainte-Alvere
Eymet dates from 1270 (founded by Alphonse de Poitiers), although had been occupied earlier during the Roman and prehistoric eras. Eymet is a typical bastide town, with the open square. The houses around the edges date from 13th to 15th century, and it has a large fountain in the middle.
Domme - 58km (36 miles) from Sainte-Alvere
A must to visit here is the Grottes de Domme. The caves (grottes) were used in the past to shelter the inhabitants during the Hundred Years War. There are more than 400m of stalactite filled galleries and a glass lift to take you back up to the surface to a panoramic view. The huge caves exist under the whole town.
Domme still has part of its original walls and gateways into the town, the ramparts are very thick and there are still three of the original doors. The towers of the Porte des Tours were converted into prisons in 1307 when the Knights Templers were arrested by the king, and you can still see the engraved crucifixes they carved whilst imprisoned.
Brantome 62km (39 miles) from Sainte-Alvere
Brantome is on the river Dronne, very pretty, sometimes known as the Venice of the Dordogne, and it has a nice mix of medieval and renaissance architecture to see. Canoes can be hired for a relaxing glide along the river. The church belfry was built in the 11th century and is the oldest to be found in France.
