The Area

Area Map

Click here for a map of the area. Use the zoom to see more or less detail.

Land Map 

The picture below shows the layout of the land at Martins’ Lakes and gives you some idea of the location of the two fishing lakes in relation to the position of our house and the gite.

From the gite, it takes about 5 minutes to walk down the hill to the Coarse Lake and about 10 minutes to walk to the Specimen Lake. It is also possible to drive to both lakes in the summer, when the ground is dry.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Dordogne

Renamed under Napoleon along boundaries coinciding roughly with those of the old Périgord, Dordogne is divided into the White, Black, Green and Purple Périgords. The four areas have always been distinct, culturally and also in terms of architecture, geology and flora.

The White Périgord covers the west and central part of the Dordogne, following the course of the river Isle and the limestone screes, which provided the white stones for Périgueux, the préfecture town or capital city of the Dordogne.

To the west, bordering the Charente, is Ribérac and its area, the Ribéracois,
typified by its beautiful Romanesque churches, and the vast, mysterious Double forest, or Fôret de la Double, in which we are located.

Contrary to popular belief, the Black Périgord is not named for its truffles.  Black is the colour of the abundant live oaks which only drop their leaves in spring. In winter their dark silhouettes on the skyline, visible from miles away, are emblematic of the scenery in this part of the Périgord, the best known thanks to Lascaux and other painted or sculpted caves, and its wealth of prehistoric remains, medieval châteaux and towns, such as Domme and Sarlat.

The Green Périgord  in the north is the most aptly named as it is a landscape of trees and water. Perhaps the least known to tourists, Brantôme is the exception: the ‘Venice of the Périgord’, with its excellent restaurants, caves, ancient abbey and monastery gardens.

Purple is a later addition to the palette, for the Purple Périgord is the main wine-growing area, a landscape striped with the vineyards of Bergerac, Pécharmant, Monbazillac and Saussignac, merging into the flavours of Saint-Émilion on the border of the Gironde department.

The centre of the town is an area of cobbled alleys lined with little shops, café terraces, shady squares and magnificent Renaissance houses.

It is a marvellous venue for open air events like the mime festival, Mimos, or the free evening jazz concerts, Macadam Jazz, in July and August, as well as more traditional events like the marché au gras (markets for fattened duck and goose products) during the winter months.

For more insight, the museum is excellent - although largely devoted to Gallo-Roman remains, other rooms have impressive collections of ethnography, natural history, porcelain, painting and sculpture.

The farmers’ market, on Wednesday and Saturday mornings, spreads out around the central boulevard, into the squares in the pedestrian precinct, and next to the cathedral. As with most French markets, it is a great place to buy fresh fruit, plants and vegetables, traditional breads, crêpes (pancakes) and pastries etc.

The city has indoor and outdoor swimming pools, theatres, discos, a cinema, with films in English (‘VO’) shown by the Ciné-Club – the programme is available from the cinema – and all the amenities of a town this size.

Bergerac

Bergerac is an attractive market town which was once an important port for the wine trade and it still serves as a hub for maize, vine and tobacco production.  The old quarter and the old harbour are particularly delightful boasting late-medieval houses and drinking fountains on street corners.   

The town comes alive on market days (Wednesday & Saturday) when you'll see an array of excellent local produce on display.  Try to get hold of some of the white, velvety Montbazillac wine which is often drunk on special occasions.  For the connoisseurs among you head to the slopes north of the river where you'll find small wine growers producing some excellent red Bergeracs.

Sarlat

People flock here for the high density of 17th-century, medieval and Renaissance architecture.  Its prosperity dates back to the Hundred Years' War when the town received payments for remaining loyal to the crown.  The heart-shaped medieval centre is lined with luxury boutiques and cafés. 

The Saturday market is an absolute must and will enable you to sample some of the gastronomic delights of this region; black truffles, mushrooms, walnuts, pork delicacies and, of course, the celebrated Perigord foie-gras.  Great cuisine may root you in Sarlat but don't forget to venture out to the prehistoric sites of the Vezere Valley and some of the great chateaux nearby.

Bordeaux

Bordeaux sits on the curve of the Garonne river and has been a busy port since Roman times.  The fifth largest town in France and with a huge student population the city is upbeat, spacious and culturally diverse boasting many museums. 

Bordeaux has been an established centre for the production of red wine since the city fell under English rule from 1154 to 1453.  Today its wealthy wine merchants produce over 44 million cases of wine per year with wine tours attracting tourists from all over the world.     

The 18th century centre is possibly the showpiece with chic boutiques and cafes lining the pedestrianised streets. The gigantic Cathedrale St-Andre is also worth visiting and is now deemed a Unesco World Heritage Site.  Another must is a stroll along the Quais Louis XVIII lined with graceful buildings and views of the river.

Arcachon

Arcachon became a popular coastal resort with the wealthier residents of Bordeaux in the late 19th century.  This gave rise to some elegant neo-classical villas in the tranquil ‘Ville d'Hiver’ (Winter Town) part of the town which shouts colonial grandeur even today.

The Ville d'Eté (Summer Town) faces the lagoon and is a lot livelier due to its central position around the main beach or Plage d'Arcachon.  Here you'll find two piers, a casino, sports facilities and cruises to Cap Ferrat.

This area is also famous for its oyster beds which produce 60% of all oysters eaten in France.

One of the greatest draws of this area is the immense Dune du Pilat which is the largest sand dune in Europe (3km long).  If you manage the climb to the top you'll be rewarded with fantastic views out to sea.

À Table!

Apart from the cuisine du canard and goose (foie gras, confit du canard, rillettes etc), the Dordogne also produces a large share of France’s walnuts.

Other specialities include the traditional salade de géiers (delicious but untranslatable as gizzard salad), truffles, sauce Périgord, cepes (a type of mushroom), chestnuts and of course, a variety of wines to help wash it all down!