Bergerac holidays

How to reach Bergerac

Flight time: Flights to Bergerac from London take about 1 hour 45 minutes.

Transfer time: There’s no public transport from Bergerac’s Dordogne Périgord Airport to the city centre so you’ll need to take a taxi, a journey that takes around 10-15 minutes.

Price: A taxi from the airport to the city centre costs approximately €20-€25. Car hire is also a popular option, with prices varying depending on the rental company and vehicle.

Best time to visit Bergerac

Choosing the best time to take a trip to Bergerac will depend on how much you enjoy the heat and the company of your fellow tourists.

March to May:

• Spring is usually the wettest period, although some years see glorious weather.

• Temperatures begin to pick up in April, peaking at around 20°C in May.

• There's typically around 7-9 hours of sunshine daily.

June to August:

• By far the busiest period is July and August, peaking in the first two weeks of August when hotels and campsites are bursting at the seams and top-rank sights are absolutely heaving.

• Temperatures can reach the mid-30s in high summer, though usually hover in the high 20s.

September to November:

• Autumn is longer and drier than spring, bringing sunny weather until the end of October.

• Temperatures range between 10°C and 20°C.

• Rainfall increases slightly to around 60-80mm per month, but there are still 7-9 hours of sunshine daily.

December to February:

• Winters are variable, but generally they are short and very dry - indeed, on sunny days it’s possible to sit outside even in December.

• January and February, however, can see temperatures plummeting to well below zero.

Practical information

• Spoken languages: French is the main language, but many British expats live here so English is widely spoken.

• Local habits and customs: Like most of the Dordogne, Bergerac is a laid-back kind of place and folk are certainly in no hurry to get things done. Saying “Bonjour Madame/Monsieur” and then gesticulating will often get you a smile and helpful service.

• Currency: The Euro (€) is the currency used. ATMs are widely available, and credit cards are accepted in most places.

• Getting around: Bergerac is very small and has a limited public transport system, but if you don't fancy walking, hire a bike from Apolo Cycles, 31 bd Victor-Hugo which can also do drop-offs at your hotel.

• Electricity and plug types: Voltage is officially 230V, using plugs with two round pins. UK travellers will need an adaptor.

• Time zone: Bergerac is in the Central European Time zone (CET), which is 1 hour ahead of GMT. Daylight Saving Time is observed.

Best things to do in Bergerac

Surrounded by vineyards, this sleepy provincial town of cobbled squares and half-timbered façades makes for atmospheric holidays to Bergerac.

Viewpoints and panoramas

• Quai Salvette: Stroll along the Dordogne River and take in the picturesque views of the river and the town.

The best districts

• Vieille ville: A calm and pleasant area to wander, with numerous late-medieval houses and perfect pavement cafés, its main artery is the lovely Grand Rue.

Museums

• Musée du Tabac: This unexpectedly absorbing museum has an impressive collection of pipes, tobacco jars and various tools of the trade garnered from all over the world.

• Musée de la Ville: City, Wine and Inland Waterways Museum, whose latter section is the most interesting, with models of the gabares alongside some text on the practicalities of navigating the Dordogne.

Parks and gardens

• Parc de Pombonne: Located just outside the town centre, this is more than your conventional park, with a lake that you can swim in and a delightful small beach.

Historical monuments

• Church of Saint Jacques: The patchwork Église St-Jacques has a certain grandeur in its narrow, high nave, topped by a precise rib-vaulted ceiling and lit by stained-glass windows.

• Cloître des Récollets: Simple, galleried 17th-century cloister now more interesting for the monks’ vaulted grain and wine cellars which now form an unusual setting for Bergerac’s Espace Vins.

• Cyrano de Bergerac: The town harbours two statues of the eponymous fictional hero of Edmond Rostand's most successful play, distinguished by his large, and legendary, protruding nose.

Day trips in the area

• Sarlat-la-Canéda: Lose yourself in Sarlat’s intriguing maze of narrow medieval lanes, and try to make your visit coincide with the fantastic Saturday market.

• Bastides: The fortified towns of Issigeac, Eymet and Beaumont, with their arcaded central squares, retain a heady medieval atmosphere - you could feasibly do all three in a long day.

• Les Eziyes: Prepare to be dazzled by some of the world’s finest prehistoric cave art, most impressively at the Font-de-Gaume and Abri du Cap Blanc caves.

Activities for families in Bergerac

Bergerac is bursting with all kinds of family-friendly possibilities, mostly of the active persuasion, and that’s just the ticket in this beautiful part of the country.

• Canoeing: A gentle family paddle along the region’s serpentine rivers gives a unique perspective on the changing scenery.

• Caves: What family doesn’t love a good caving expedition? The Grotte de Villars boasts rock formations, wall paintings, a garden of cavemen and lots of children’s activities; and at the Grotte de Rouffignac you can ride a miniature train underground and admire ancient wall art.

• Castles: The region’s châteaux are always a winner with kids, and most lay on child-friendly activities in the holidays: at Château de Castelnaud, kids can even have a go at firing a trebuchet siege engine.

• River trips: Périgord Gabarres, at Le Quai Salvette, operate replica gabares which depart from the old port for leisurely 50-minute river trips along the Dordogne to a nature reserve that is home to herons, cormorants and kingfishers, among other wildlife.

Free things to do in Bergerac

The town lends itself to taking things slowly, and whether that’s cruising the local markets or strolling the riverbanks, many of these things can be experienced for free on your Bergerac holidays.

• Festivals: During July and August there are free concerts by French jazz artists on Wednesday evenings on place de le Myrpe and the Cloître des Récollets.

• Visit the markets: Browsing the local markets is the thing to do in the Dordogne and Bergerac is no exception. The main event (Wed & Sat mornings) spreads out from the central halle into the surrounding streets and squares. There’s also a small organic market (Tues morning) in front of the town hall, and a gigantic flea market on place de la Myrpe on the first Sunday of the month.

• Walk along the Dordogne River: Not much beats a walk along the banks of the Dordogne whose broad paths are perfect for a leisurely stroll or gentle pedal.

Nature and outdoor activities

The Bergerac region offers a terrific range of sports and outdoor activities, including hiking, cycling, trekking and waterborne diversions such as canoeing and kayaking.

• Canoeing: The Dordogne and Lot’s many rivers offer superb water-bound activities, though it’s hard to beat a gentle canoe paddle along the Vézère River, and in particular the stretch between Montignac and Les Eyzies.

• Cycling: The region’s minor roads and demarcated cycling routes provide plenty of opportunities for cyclists: one good one is La Voie Verte (“Green Way”), an 18km footpath and cycleway that follows a disused train line from Thiviers into the heart of the Périgord Vert.

• Swimming: Several pebbly beaches give access to the water along the Dordogne and Lot rivers, but it’s often too shallow or fast-flowing to be ideal for swimming. An alternative is to head for one of the natural or man-made lakes such as Lac de Pombonne just outside Bergerac.

Local dishes in Bergerac

The cuisine of the region is predominantly simple, country cooking (cuisine de terroir), revolving around duck and goose, garlic, a host of mushrooms, walnuts and whatever else the land has to offer.

Some typical dishes

• Foie gras: The region’s culinary star, foie gras is best eaten on its own in succulent slabs, though it’s also delicious pan-fried with a fruit compote.

• Truffles: Evocatively known as the “black diamonds of the Périgord”, these expensive black fungi crop up in all sorts of dishes, from rich Périgourdin sauces to the humble omelette.

• Walnuts: Walnuts have formed part of the Périgordin diet for more than 17,000 years, and these days are also incorporated into bread, cakes, tarts and ice cream, or served whole with salads and the local cheeses.

Meat dishes

• Magret de canard: Duck breast cooked to perfection, often served with a sweet sauce made from orange or cherry.

• Saucisson: A thrillingly tasty sausage made with pork and seasoned with garlic and other herbs.

Fish and seafood dishes

• Bouillabaisse: A saffron- and garlic-flavoured fish soup with croutons, usually served with a side of rouille, a garlic mayonnaise.

• Huitres: Fresh oysters from the nearby Atlantic coast are typically eaten raw with a squeeze of lemon and a splash of vinegar.

Sweets and desserts

Two classic local puddings are Pastis, a light apple tart topped with crinkled, wafer-thin pastry laced with armagnac, and Tarte aux noix, walnut pieces bathed in a caramel dessert and baked in a walnut tart shell to produce a sweet, chewy confection.

Local drinks

• Montbazillac wine: Sample a drop of this sumptuously sweet white wine at the eponymous château, just outside Bergerac, or in any number of the surrounding wineries.

• Pineau des Charentes: Another sweet beauty, this fortified wine is made from grape juice and cognac, and typically drunk as an aperitif or with a dessert.