A PICK of places to visit and things to do close to Villefranche-du-Périgord in the southern Dordogne, with a few further afield that you might enjoy as well.
This first selection is for things you can do within around 30 minutes of Villefranche-du-Périgord.
A guide to Église Saint-Martin in Besse
There have been human settlements in Besse dating back possibly as far as the Prehistoric age, and with iron ore in the ground and wood for charcoal from the nearby forests it later became important for the Celts.
A magical walk with the trois évêques, near Lavaur, Dordogne
You are sure to see the steep rock face from the road as you navigate the tight bend, but not many people stop and take a stroll to the Fontaine des trois évêques.
A walk around Prats du Perigord
Stroll around the small Dordogne village of Prats-du-Périgord*, but keep an eye out for the speedy Nordic Walkers as they stride past.
Woolen mill Filature de Belvès
The spinning mill sits beneath the hill on top of which sits the Dordogne town of Belvès, and it produced yarns up until the 1990s.
Pottering around Virebent pottery, Puy l'Eveque
Down through the riverside village of Puy l'Eveque, across the bridge over the Lot, past the fish and chip restaurant and at the small roundabout you'll see a sign for Virebent pottery.
Abbaye Nouvelle, a place of hidden stories
As you walk around the Abbaye Nouvelle, found between Gourdon and Salviac in the Lot, you begin to wonder what life the monks must have experienced in this corner of south west France.
These are places to visit that are at the most an hour away from this southern tip of the Dordogne.
Canoeing on the river Dordogne
Glide through the water in your canoe as you pass the turrets and towers of Castlenaud on the river Dordogne.
Visit to the Museum of Resistance, in Cahors
Across six rooms you learn how the Resistance in the Lot département took shape to attack armoured columns, bomb railway lines and support Allied troops and operations in the region.
The Tuilières hydroelectric dam and fish lift
The dam and adjoining fish ladder, or more accurately fish lift, are found on the D660 between Lalinde and Bergerac.
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