To Brits Bergerac of course refers to a television detective series set in Jersey. The original though is on the wide plain of the Dordogne set among 12,000 acres of vineyards. It is the main market place for local crops such as maize, wine and grapes and for tobacco. The tobacco is important enough to the town to warrant its own museum as does wine. The Maison du Vin is also the venue for jazz nights on warm summer evenings. Winters are temperate, unlike some other southern towns.
The town was partly destroyed in the ancient Wars of Religion and much of it is modern, though it retains a number of old drinking fountains and late medieval houses and other buildings. There are a number of chateaus in the immediate area. It also has a large statue of Cyrano de Bergerac – despite the fact that he never visited the town.
Access
The town has an SNCF station which of course means relatively easy links to Paris and point north. There is also a local airport, Bergerac-Roumanière Airport, just off the N21 some 5 km from the town centre. I t is served by several low cost airlines form various British towns and cities.
Activities
Whether your musical taste is for the ballet, opera, pop, traditional folk music, country and Celtic music or jazz this town has what you want. A Bach festival contrasts with one remembering Punk Rock. There are Son et Lumières based around the nearest chateau as well as open air cinema in the summer and the theatre has musical hall as well as drama. There are gourmet markets, children’s drama workshops, art shows, and all this before you even consider sport or what the surrounding countryside has to offer with caving, hiking, riding and so on.
Food and drink
Truffles and walnuts are a feature, as are various liqueurs you may not have yet discovered. There are local red, white and rosé wines, once transported and traded on the river.
Ostrich farms are one local venture you might not have expected. Pates, terrines and preserves are to be found everywhere as are local cheeses, fruit and nuts.
Restaurants
- The Touron Animal Farm, Route Nationale 21, 24 140 Campsegret, Tel no: 05.53.73.84.70,
- L’enfance de lard, Place Pélissière, 24100 Bergerac, Tel no: 05.53.57.52.88
Of course the longer you stay the more restaurants you will have the opportunity to try out and local sights to visit.
This is a wonderful place to choose for your future property, whether you want an investment property to only visit occasionally or something of a more permanent nature. Decide what you want from your property and perhaps the area you prefer. Think about what you wan t from it – a granny flat or rooms to let, a pool, seclusion – perhaps you prefer to be in the middle of things, How important is a large garden to you? Who will look after it when you are away? What is your budget? Are you prepared to renovate or do you want somewhere fitted out already? Decide the answer to all these things and then contact Sextant properties who can put you in touch with a local bi-lingual agent, someone who really knows the area and can take you on guided viewing trips of suitable properties. They will be able to answer any questions, explain unusual terms. And then, quicker perhaps than you might imagine, you are the owner of a place in Bergerac.