Riberac is a pleasant if rather quiet town in the Dronne valley of northern Dordogne, a quiet region to the north-west of Perigueux.
Explore Riberac
France This Way review; Riberac is a pleasant market town in the northern part of the Dordogne which is much quieter and has fewer attractions than other parts of the department.
Start your visit in the Place National which is at the centre of the town. Riberac has a reasonable number of shops and restaurants making it a good base when exploring the northern Dordogne area.
Behind the main square you will find the Office de Tourisme where you can pick up a map of the town to help to explore the main sights. The tourist office is housed in the old gendarmerie which was built in 1845 and is an impressive building.
Another fine building is the Palais de Justice which is near to here.
From here walk along the Rue des Mobiles de Coulmiers to the town hall, the mairie, which is housed in a beautiful chateau-like building built in the 19th century and surrounded by a pleasant park.
Cross over the road and walk along rue Couleau and across the little Riberaguet stream to the Theatre which is housed in an ancient church that was built before the revolution.
Walk back up through town and this time head east and on to the rue Notre Dame. Here you will see the Eglise Notre Dame de la Paix, a fairly new church built in the 1930s. Inside it has some excellent windows by Francis Chigot.
The church has been built in the romano-byzantine style reminiscent of the nearby cathedral of Perigueux. It is quite striking with its multiple domes and separate tower.
Keep walking up the hill and you will reach the older church, the 12th century Collegiale Notre-Dame. This church is one of the many Romanesque churches which dot the landscape in this area.
Inside it has some beautiful wall paintings from the 17th century and some excellent windows by Henri Guérin. From the church you can also get some nice views of Riberac and the surrounding countryside.
There is a road between the two churches and also a path called the Chemin des Abeilles, path of the bees, which passes the Jardin des Abeilles, garden of the bees, which has been planted to attract bees.
Below the Collegiale Notre Dame is a pretty part of town called the Quartier des Arts and which is home to various artists workshops and exhibitions.
Riberac is at its best on a Friday, market day for reputedly the biggest market in Perigord and the most visited attraction in the town.
Attractions nearby
There are two main attractions near Riberac - the large forest nearby (the 'Foret de la Double') which has lots of opportunities for hiking, and the small villages of the region that are known for their traditional roman style churches.
Riberac also makes a very good base for exploring this northern part of the Dordogne. Among the places we suggest you visit are Aubeterre-sur-Dronne which has a magnificent underground church carved into the rock and is one of the ‘most beautiful villages of France’.
Saint Astier has a pretty riverside setting and Saint Aulaye is a quiet bastide town with a Renaissance chateau.
Explore elsewhere in the Perigord Vert. You can find more travel ideas in the Dordogne guide and the Aquitaine guide.
Photos of Riberac
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Map of Riberac and places nearby
Visit near Riberac with France This Way reviews
Aubeterre-sur-Dronne
The attractive village of Aubeterre-sur-Dronne is also well known for its imposing troglodyte church
Aubeterre-sur-Dronne guide
The Subterranean Monolithic Church of Saint-Jean
The Monolithic Subterranean Church of Saint-Jean in Aubeterre-sur-Dronne is a magnificent underground church hewn from the rock.
The Subterranean Monolithic Church of Saint-Jean guide
Saint-Astier
Saint Astier is a small town in the Dordogne with an attractive riverside setting.
Saint-Astier guide
Neuvic sur l'Isle
Neuvic is a small town with a chateau, the Chateau de Neuvic which is open for visits in the summer.
Neuvic sur l'Isle guide
Chateau de Bourdeilles
The Chateau de Bourdeilles consists of a medieval defensive castle and a Renaissance castle in the pretty village of Bourdeilles.
Chateau de Bourdeilles guide
Bourdeilles
Close to Brantome, the Chateau de Bourdeilles is quite modest compared with some in the region but a visit is still recommended
Bourdeilles guide... or see ALL recommended places to visit in Dordogne
Address: Ribérac, Périgueux, Aquitaine, 24600, France || GPS coordinates: latitude 45.247, longitude 0.3397
Plan your visit to Riberac, Dordogne
Sightseeing & tourist attractions to visit nearby
- Eglise Notre Dame de Faye (Faye): religious monument
- Aubeterre-sur-Dronne: most beautiful village (13 km)
- Ancien Prieuré de Merlande (La Chapelle-Gonaguet): religious monument (25 km)
- Abbaye Notre Dame (Chancelade): religious monument (26 km)
- Jardins du château de Montréal: remarkable garden (27 km)
- Abbaye Saint Pierre (Brantome): religious monument (27 km)
- Eglise Saint Etienne de la Cité (Perigueux): religious monument (30 km)
- Perigueux: town of art and history (31 km)
- Perigueux cathédrale Saint Front (monuments on French pilgrim routes): heritage site (31 km)
- Eglise de Notre Dame (Voulgezac): religious monument (34 km)
- Chateau de Puyguilhem: national monument (38 km)
- Abbaye Cistercienne de Boschaud (Villars): religious monument (38 km)
Market days in Riberac, France
Regular market(s) are held in Riberac each Tuesday & Friday. (Markets are held in the morning unless stated.)
The French version of this page is at Riberac (Francais)