Apart from the grand rivers, the Dordogne, the Vézère and the Garonne, there are countless smaller ones littered throughout the countryside. These meandering rivers snake their way through the limestone creating gorges, spectacular valleys and craggy cliffs.
It is a wine growing region also, with the wine hub Bordeaux within easy reach; the mountains of the Massif Central on the east; the Pyrenees in the south and the glorious Atlantic seaboard in the west. It is a rich tourist region in summer when the weather is hot and dry; in winter as the rain and cold descends, it is time to recharge the batteries after all the hectic activity. For anyone wanting to be involved in tourism whether it is wine tasting, walking or cycling holidays, a bed and breakfast business or a gîte, there are many opportunities, but beware, there is plenty of competition in this field.
Périgord Pourpre, in the south west of the Dordogne, named after the colour of the wine, is centred around Bergerac, the main town. Although red wine predominates, white and rosé is also produced and the sweet wines of Montbazillac are renowned.
Bergerac is surrounded by fields of maize, vines and tobacco, Truffles are also discovered here. In the countryside south of the town some of the finest examples of bastides can be found such as Monpazier. In the words of Anthony Peregrine, writing in the UK Sunday Times ‘Essentially, bastides were a medieval planning ploy to drag scattered peasants in from the countryside, put them in one place and make them easier to tax. The town layouts — chessboard street pattern around a central arcaded square and market hall — were so logical and harmonious that they’ve scarcely budged since, except that, these days, they’re hit by an epidemic of craft shops.’
Eymet is situated on the river Dropt. The Bastide was founded in 1270, by Alphonse de Poitiers, Count of Toulouse and brother of Louis IX of France. The village is situated at the extreme south of the Department of Dordogne between Bergerac and Marmande.
Getting to the south Dordogne and the Lot-et-Garonne
By air: Due to the region’s popularity, the budget airlines operate direct flights to Bergerac from the UK and to nearby Toulouse and Bordeaux. There are direct flights from Rotterdam to Bergerac and from other Netherlands airports and Germany to Toulouse and from the Netherlands to Bordeaux.
By train: The TGV runs from Paris to Bordeaux in three hours but onward train journeys are slow. Trains run from Bordeaux to Bergerac (2hr 45). The Toulouse line from Paris calls at Souillac and Sarlat.
By road: A10 from Paris then A20/E09 through Souillac and on to Toulouse in the south. From Bordeaux, the A62/E72 runs south to Toulouse. The A89/E70 runs from Bordeaux through Périgueux to Clermont-Ferrand. Eymet is situated half way between those two motorways.