Things to do in Bergerac
And where to stay, the best time to visit, what a day costs, and the traps to skip.
Best time to visit Bergerac
• a note or something on ✦ an occasion worth the trip
Best months overall, warm without August heat, everything open, vines green and harvest building in September.
Good shoulder months, with blossom and Easter openings in April and golden vines and cepes in October.
Peak season with gabarres, guinguettes and night markets, but heat in the mid 30s and the highest prices and crowds.
Quiet season when many restaurants, chateaux and the gabarres close, compensated by truffles, low prices and a December Christmas market.
Early spring shoulder, changeable weather and a town reopening, with markets year round on Wednesday and Saturday.
What's on
- Fête du Vin et de la Batellerie July
Bergerac festival of its twin heritage of wine and river trade, with tastings and gabarres in the old town.
- Marchés gourmands nocturnes Thursday evenings in July and August in Eymet
Summer night markets across the bastides with communal tables, producers cooking to order and music.
- Issigeac Sunday market Sunday mornings, best May to September
The favourite market morning of the Bergeracois, in a circular medieval village 20 minutes south.
- Vendanges harvest Mid September into October
Harvest in the Bergerac and Monbazillac vines, with successive botrytis picks and estate open days.
- Fête de la Musique 21 June
France national music night filling Bergerac squares and terraces with live music.
- Bergerac Christmas market December
A small festive market transforming the old town lanes in the Christmas weeks.
Best things to do in Bergerac
Place Pélissière
The cafe lined square under Saint Jacques with the famous Cyrano statue, and the natural start of any old town walk.
Place de la Myrpe
A small square of old boatmen houses by the river that shows how Bergerac lived from the Dordogne wine trade.
Quai Cyrano
The Maison des Vins in the Recollets cloister, the cheapest and clearest introduction to all 13 Bergerac appellations.
Château de Monbazillac
A turreted castle above a sea of vines where the visit ends with a guided tasting of the famous sweet wine.
Marché de Bergerac
Wednesday and Saturday market mornings when the old town fills with Perigord produce, duck, cheese and strawberries.
Musée du Tabac
France only tobacco museum, a surprisingly rich collection of pipes and art in the 17th century Maison Peyrarède.
Dordonha
Bergerac newest heritage centre, combining the Costi bronzes with interactive displays on the town and its wine trade.
Église Notre-Dame
The tall neo Gothic town church anchoring the market streets, a cool and quiet half hour on market morning.
Where to stay in Bergerac
Vieille Ville / Historic Centre
first trip, no car, eating out
The markets, Quai Cyrano, gabarres and a dozen good restaurants inside five minutes walk, with parking on the edge.
Vineyard countryside: Monbazillac, Saint-Nexans, Mouleydier and Monestier
drivers, couples, golf and slow stays
Chateau hotels with gardens, pools, spas and serious restaurants in total quiet, 10 to 25 minutes from town.
La Cavaille / Route de Bordeaux edge
one night, late arrivals and budgets only
Practical chain hotels with easy parking five to ten minutes drive from the centre, safe but without any charm.
Think twice about
- Route de Bordeaux / La Catte retail strip
Soulless retail sheds with car only access and nothing to walk to at night. Safe, but a poor holiday base.
Best restaurants in Bergerac
La Tour des Vents
Bergerac one-star table above the Monbazillac vines, precise Perigord cooking and a famous Grand Marnier souffle.
Les Fresques
The starred chateau restaurant at Vigiers, tasting menus from local producers with no drive home afterwards.
L'Imparfait
The in town splurge in a 12th century dining room, seasonal tasting menus mixing Perigord tradition with modern technique.
La Table du Marché
Generous market led gastronomy by the covered market, with house foie gras, roast quail and carefully cooked fish.
Le Vin'Quatre
A tiny family run old town restaurant with a short creative menu that reviewers call the best choice in Bergerac.
Empreinte
A calm alley restaurant famed for value, with a three course set menu that may be the best priced in Bergerac.
Le Bistrot de Malfourat
The upmarket bistrot sister of La Tour des Vents, with vineyard views and Perigord cooking at bistrot prices.
Restaurant le Confluence
A small calm restaurant with the highest recent dinner rating in Bergerac and a reputation for outstanding value.
Outdoor things to do in Bergerac
Les Gabarres de Bergerac
A one hour commented cruise on a traditional wine barge that explains the port, the quays and the river trade.
Canoë Attitude
Canoe, kayak and paddleboard hire on the calm Bergerac reach of the Dordogne, with beaches for swimming and picnics.
Voie Verte de Bergerac
Flat riverside and canal cycling from Bergerac to Pombonne, Monbazillac and the Lalinde towpaths and locks.
Golf Vigiers
A 27 hole Donald Steel course in three loops through vines, orchard and lake, with a famous finish before the chateau.
Parc de Pombonne
Bergerac own lake park with a supervised sandy swimming beach in summer, lawns, woodland walks and a guinguette.
Montgolfières du Périgord
A dawn balloon flight over the Dordogne castle valley around Beynac and La Roque-Gageac, about an hour east of Bergerac.
Monpazier
The textbook 13th century bastide with an intact arcaded square, the highlight of the southern bastides driving loop.
Sarlat-la-Canéda
The golden stone eastern day trip, combined with Beynac, Castelnaud and La Roque-Gageac on the castle river.
Best hotels in Bergerac
Château des Vigiers
A 16th century chateau resort with 27 hole golf, spa, pools and a starred restaurant on a 150 hectare estate.
La Chartreuse du Bignac
A restored chartreuse in parkland south of Bergerac with a pool, gardens and a restaurant rated among the best locally.
Château Les Merles
A woodland chateau hotel east of Bergerac with a strong restaurant, pool and small golf course at below resort prices.
Maison Argenson
A 19th century townhouse B and B in town with large suites, a garden pool and celebrated homemade breakfasts.
Hôtel de Bordeaux
The reliable central three star a short stroll from the old town, with a seasonal outdoor pool rare at this price.
Hôtel de France
A traditional town hotel on Place Gambetta putting the market, Notre Dame and Pelissiere inside a ten minute walk.
Logis Hôtel & Restaurant Ludik
A green Logis hotel with pool, terrace and restaurant five minutes drive from the centre, built for families and road trips.
ibis budget Bergerac
The honest cheap bed on the Route de Bordeaux, clean and air conditioned with easy parking and no character.
Is Bergerac expensive? What a day costs
| Budget | €70 a person |
|---|---|
| Classic | €140 a person |
| Splurge | €300 a person |
A day of food, drink, sights and getting around, before the room
What to book ahead
- Château de Monbazillac: a few days ahead
- Château de Bridoire: a few days ahead
- Château Feely: a few days ahead
- Golf Vigiers: a few days ahead
- Montgolfières du Périgord: weeks ahead
- Château des Vigiers: weeks ahead
- La Chartreuse du Bignac: weeks ahead
- Château Les Merles: a few days ahead
- Book La Tour des Vents and Les Fresques weeks ahead for summer weekends and Le Vin Quatre and La Table du Marche days ahead.
- Book Sunday lunch before you travel because many of the best kitchens close Sunday and Monday in some combination.
- Book balloon flights early in your stay for a second morning, and Vigiers tee times and spa slots in season.
Is Bergerac safe?
- Bergerac has no dangerous base area, but keep a bag closed in Saturday market crowds around Notre Dame.
- Swim at supervised water like Pombonne beach and respect Dordogne currents after rain.
- The station edge feels drab late at night, so walk the lit main streets instead of the underpass.
Bergerac travel tips: tourist traps to skip
- The Cyrano statues are a five minute photo, not a destination, and the real Cyrano never lived in Bergerac.
- Sarlat at midday in August is saturated, so start the eastern day trip before 9am.
- Never drive after tastings on unlit rural roads, nominate a driver, spit, or book a guided tour with transport.
Getting around Bergerac: public transport and more
- A car is the rule beyond the old town, but a car free weekend in the centre works with markets, tastings and the gabarre.
- Trains run Bergerac to Bordeaux in about 1 hour 12 minutes hourly and to Sarlat in about 1 hour 5 minutes every two hours.
- Bergerac airport is seasonal and UK focused, while Bordeaux is the year round gateway about 1.5 hours away.
- Walk the old town and park at Gambetta or another edge car park, and hire a bike for Pombonne and Monbazillac.
Who Bergerac suits
| Solo travellers | Good |
|---|---|
| Groups of friends | Good |
| Couples | Great |
| Bachelor parties | Not ideal |
| Families | Great |
| Bachelorette parties | Good |
Make Bergerac your trip
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