Bergerac, gateway to the Perigord

Bergerac is found in the region of south-west france known as Purple Perigord – Perigord is the ‘ancient’ name for the region that now largely includes the Dordogne, and ‘purple’ for the wines grown in the region.

It is a lively active town that often gets overlooked as visitors head to the quaint villages and ancient castles of the Dordogne region to the east.

Bergerac itself is not the most exciting town in the world, but it is attractive, has a lovely medieval old town, and is well worth at least a half day explore – a whole day is even better, to allow time for lunch and a look in one or two of the museums and attractions of the town.

The Bergerac Old Town is the section that runs up from the river, and has numerous impressive medieval buildings to enjoy, along a cluster of streets and around a couple of open squares that form the centre of this part of the town.

There is a good sprinkling of restaurants and cafes to enjoy, offering everything from pizzas to gourmet food, and several offering good value ‘menu du jour’ options. For a fine lunch try the L’Imparfait, perhaps, or for something a bit more basic (and much cheaper) try the bar next door (owned by the same restaurant, and with lunch prepared in the L’imparfait kitchens).

Among the highlights of the town are the cloisters at the Maison des Vins, very pretty, then for a bit of culture try the Wine Museum or the Tobacco Museum – tobacco has long ben an important crop in the region. the Costi Museum of Sculpture also merits a visit.

There are many other small highlights tucked away in the town – see more at Visit Bergerac, the travel guide who contributed the pictures for this introduction to Bergerac.