Bergerac is found on the northern bank of the Dordogne River, in the western part of the Dordogne department. It is among the largest towns in the region .

The highlight of a trip to Bergerac is the old town – the area immediately north of the river, signposted ‘vieille ville’. This part of the town has some lovely streets and squares to explore, and a variety of boutique type shops.

There are also several restaurants in ‘old-town’ Bergerac among the attractive medieval half-timbered streets, and some open-air cafes where you can pass a very pleasant hour just watching people going about their business.

Visit the Maison de Vins de Bergerac in the heart of the old town. It is a beautiful old cloister dating back to the 12th century. If you are a wine enthusiast there is an exhibition showing the history of Bergerac wines and its 13 appellations. During the summer there are occasional concerts which take place in the cloister. It is a lovely setting for them and worth going if you get the chance. In December there is usually a small but good quality Christmas Market here with products from local artisans, very useful if you are doing some Christmas shopping.

The National Tobacco Museum is based here in Bergerac, and is apparently very interesting. (Tobacco is still an important crop in the region, that you will probably see growing in the fields.)

Up from the old town, there is a newer, more modern part to Bergerac, with more conventional streets and a larger range of ‘modern’ shops.

The market, held on a Saturday, is at the higher end of the town.

After exploring Bergerac you can take an organised boat trip (bagarre) up the river (start from the car-park at the bottom end of the old-town) to see the town and the nearby countryside from a different perspective. (But be warned – several people we know have done this and said it was a waste of time because the boat didn’t go far enough – I recommend you wait, and take a boat trip from one of the bases further upstream).

Museums

Maison des Vins – as mentioned above this is housed in an ancient cloister (which you can enter without entering the exhibition), there is an exhibition of the history of Bergerac wines.
Musee d’Interet National du Tabac (Tobacco museum) – history social and cultural of tobacco.
Musee Costi – sculptures

Tourist Office
97, rue Neuve d’Argenson
24100 Bergerac
33-553.57.03.11
33-553.61.11.04
www.bergerac-tourisme.com