For Christmas, we were given a weekend in the Périgord region with two nights in a bed and breakfast and dinner at the Etincelles restaurant. At the beginning of April, with the arrival of warmer weather, a longing for the countryside, relaxation, farmers' markets, and good wines suddenly convinced me to head to the Dordogne , to Sainte Sabine Born to be precise, to enjoy our wonderful gift!
Here is how I organised this little weekend in the Périgord region , visiting the small villages (the Bastides) and the vineyards of Monbazillac and Bergerac.
Where is Périgord? Where is the Dordogne?
Even though Toulouse is only 2.5 hours from the Périgord region, I shamefully admit that I knew absolutely nothing about this area encompassing both the Périgord and the Dordogne . In fact, I naively discovered that it's the same place. Périgord is the former name of the region that included the Dordogne department . It's located north of Toulouse , east of Bordeaux , and south of Limoges (see map below).
Le territory of Périgord is delimited in 4 parts:
- the Périgord vert North. Green for its forests and in particular its Périgord-Limousin regional natural park.
- the Périgord blanc from east to west. White as its soil and its limestone reliefs,
- the purple Périgord at the South West. Purple for its vineyards (especially around Bergerac).
- the Périgord noir At the South-East. Black for the many holm oaks whose foliage darkens the landscapes. It is the Périgord noir which is the most touristic and it is therefore there that I will spend my weekend.
How to visit the Dordogne in 2 days?
To truly discover the Périgord region—its green, white, purple, and black landscapes—you obviously need more than two days. (See my three-day road trip to explore the Dordogne ). Indeed, this beautiful region is home to numerous small medieval villages, hundreds of castles, chasms, prehistoric caves, and beautiful vineyards.
To choose the sites to visit in two days, I simply selected those located near the Gentilhommière, so all around Sainte Sabine Born . This allowed me to enjoy visiting some beautiful villages and vineyards of the Périgord region without wasting too much time on the road.
Weekend in Dordogne - Day 1 program in Périgord
From Sainte Sabine Born , I will drive to Monpazier , Villeréal (farmers' market on Saturday morning), Issigeac , Château Tour des Gendres and back to La Gentilhommière for dinner at the Etincelles restaurant.
Weekend in the Dordogne - Map of the circuit in the Périgord Noir (1er day)
2-day tour in Périgord - Visits of the 1st day
2 days tour in Périgord - Monpazier
Our first stop begins with the best-preserved bastide in Périgord . It was founded in 1284 and magnificently retains a good part of its original buildings.
2 days tour in Périgord - Villeréal
Small village where we discovered the colorful and lively Saturday morning market.
2 days tour in Périgord - Issigeac
Then a unique medieval village amidst the bastides. The village is built in a spiral within its ancient walls.
2 days tour in Périgord - Château Tour des Genders
Domaine des Gendres is a vineyard belonging to Château de Bridoire, where the vines are cultivated to produce 100% organic wine . Please note that advance booking is required. Tel: +33 5 53 57 12 43.
2 days tour in Périgord - Etincelles Restaurant
We will spend a beautiful evening at the Etincelles restaurant where the cuisine has character while being refined.
2 days tour in Périgord - Where to sleep?
This is the manor house where we stayed for the entire weekend. It's a very charming, peaceful, and family-friendly place, perfect for rest and relaxation. More information on Booking.com
Weekend in Dordogne - Program of the 2rd day in Périgord
From Sainte Sabine Born, our route takes us to Beaumont du Périgord , passes through Issigeac , and then on to the Château de Monbazillac . Next, we head towards the Domaine viticole de Julien de Savignac and continue to my final stop: Bergerac in the Périgord Pourpre region.
Weekend in Dordogne - Map of the circuit in the Périgord Noir et Pourpre (2nd day)
2-day tour in Périgord - Visits of the 2nd day
2 days tour in Périgord - Beaumont du Perigord
An English bastide dating from 1272, it was built in 1272 and retains some remains of fortifications and beautiful arcaded houses.
2 days tour in Périgord - Monbazillac Castle
Of course, a stop to taste and buy some good Monbazillac wine was a must!
2 days tour in Périgord - Julien de Savignac wine estate
We chose this estate to discover Bergerac wine (although they also offer Monbazillac). The vineyard is owned by a family of passionate winemakers who produce a wide range of wines (3 different labels) to suit all tastes and budgets. Tel: +500 05 53 07 10 31.
2 days tour in Périgord - Bergerac
In the heart of the Dordogne Valley , amidst the vineyards of Monbazillac and Pécharmant, Bergerac truly charmed us with its tranquility, its architecture dating from the 11th century and its castle right on the banks of the Dordogne.
And why not another circuit?
Here is my Brittany-Normandy itinerary
hello, I just browsed your blog, a great gold mine.
Being from Bergerac, I carefully read your itinerary on the Dordogne, and an error slipped just above the photo of the quai du Vieux Bergerac, it should read "the castle on the banks of the Dordogne" and not the Lot .
thank you for your sharing.
see you soon
Hello Sophie,
I am correcting this error immediately and thank you for pointing it out to me.