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Brantome
Brantome is an idyllic village located to the north of Perigueux on the banks of the River Dronne.
The town is nnown locally as the Venice of Perigord. Wooded cliffs loom up behind the beautiful Benedictine abbey. The river Dronne runs through the village in front of a Benedictine Abbey and there is even a small weir and lovely and unusual right-angled stone bridge to add to the beauty of the scene. Parks and gardens surround much of the village whose houses are built of the local stone with tiled roofs. Added to this there is a fabulous troglodyte cave with scenes of the Last Judgement carved in the stone and nearby is the Dolmen of « Pierre Levée".
The town also boasts a selection of good restaurants including the Michelin starred Moulin de l’Abbeye.
The Abbey in Brantome has its origins in the 8th century. A Benedictine abbey it was founded by Charlemagne allegedly donated relics of Saint Sicarius one of the children massacred by Herod.
The original abbey was destroyed by Vikings and then rebuilt in the tenth century and again in the twelfth and fifteenth centuries. It was then radically restored in 1850 by the architect Paul Abadie, a student of Viollet-le-Duc. The bell tower which dates officially to the 11th century but may be even older is one of the oldest in France.
Inside the abbey there is an elegant staircase and you can visit the monks dormitory with its roof in the shape of an upturned boat. There is also a permanent exhibition of ‘dessins mediumniques’ by Fernand Desmoulin (drawings done when apparently under the influence of a spiritual experience).
Behind the abbey at the foot of the cliff are the troglodyte dwellings used by the original monks and in here is the cave with the remarkable sculpture of ‘The Last Judgement’.
During a walk around the village of Brantome you can see examples of Medieval and Renaissance architecture.
Canoeing through Brantome gives you a different perspective on the town and is always popular.
Market day is Friday in Brantome
Brantome: tourist information, map, travel plans and gites
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Places to visit - Brantome
Explore places within about 70 kilometres on a map at Visit Brantome.
Some of the closer places are listed below (distances from Brantome are approximate and direct - as the crow flies. Only places listed on the france this way site are shown!)
- Chateau de Bourdeilles Chateau at 8 km
- Chateau de Puyguilhem Chateau at 13 km
- Chateau de Puymartin Chateau at 14 km
- Perigueux Dordogne town at 21 km
- Saint-Jean-de-Cole Most beautiful village at 22 km
Tourist Classifications for Brantome
- Listed as "Plus Beaux Detour" town in France (ie recommended stopover place)
Information and photos
This travel guide has information, holidays and photos of Brantome when available. If you have any photos or relevant information please send them to us! Full credit will be given if they are used.
