LES JARDINS DE SARDY IN VELINES (11 km from Sainte Foy la Grande)
An unexpectedly beautiful, isolated patch of the countryside, of English and Florentine influence. The gardens flourish around the fortified medieval architecture including a manor house that was refurbished in the 18th century. Les Jardins de Sardy are the fruit of a dynamic and astonishing combination of Renaissance perspective, with the ponds and cypresses, and the romantic exuberance of the pastel-tone flowerbeds.
You can follow the gardener for an educational yet entertaining exploration of scents, where you will be invited to breathe in – and guess – the aromas of verbena, patchouli, the Caribbean, citronella, camphor...
You can also go on a guided tour of the garden with the owner, who will recount the history of Sardy. He will take you to his favourite viewpoints and will be happy to tell you all the names of the plants. You are also welcome to wander round the garden unaccompanied and create your own walk.
Open every day from Easter to All Saints, 10 am to 6 pm
Admission: €6 - Students: €3
Under 12’s: free of charge
LES JARDINS DE SARDY
24230 VELINES
Telephone: + 33 (0)5.53.27.51.45
Fax: +33 (0)5.53.22.87.93
Mail:
jardinsdesardy@club-internet.fr
THE GALLO-ROMAN SITE OF MONTCARET (14 km from Sainte Foy la Grande, direction Castillon)
The 1st and 4th-century remains, remodelled in the Middle Ages, belong to a Gallo-Roman villa with a peristyle and interior courtyard. The complex boasts a magnificent 60 m2 poly-lobed room and private baths.
The main feature of the site is the quality and extent of the mosaic tiling as well as the site’s uninterrupted occupation from ancient times to the present day. The site is listed as a National Monument.
Open (subject to availability, last admission 60 minutes beforehand)
28 May to 30 September - Every day
9.45 am to 12.30 pm and 2 pm to 6.30 pm
1st October to 27 May
Every day except Saturday
10 am to 12.30 pm and 2 pm to 5.30 pm
Closed: 1st January, 1st May, 1st and 11 November, 25 December.
SITE GALLO-RAMOIN DE MONTCARET
24230 MONTCARET
Telephone: +33 (0)5.53.58.50.18
Fax: +33 (0)5. 53.73.26.50
http://montcaret.monuments-nationaux.fr
LA TOUR DE MONTAIGNE (19 km from Sainte Foy la Grande, direction Castillon)
Fortunately spared by the flames that destroyed part of the ancestral home of the EYQUEM de Montaigne family in 1885, the tower of Michel EYQUEM, Lord of Montaigne (1533-1592), is set in the heart of a majestic park at the border between the Bordeaux and Perigord regions, at the gateway to Bergerac and Saint-Emilion.
A guided tour of this listed historic monument standing on three floors will give visitors an opportunity to communicate with the spirit of the master of the house. It is in his library, where he had Greek and Latin inscriptions painted on the beams relating to his thinking and reading, that this great humanist wrote his famous Essays between 1571 and 1592.
OPENING TIMES
February - March - April - November - December
Open every day (except Monday and Tuesday)
10 am to noon and 2 pm to 5.30 pm
May - June - September - October
Open every day (except Monday and Tuesday)
10 am to noon and 2 pm to 6.30 pm
July - August
Open every day from 10 am to 6.30 pm non-stop
Open every day during the school holidays from Easter to All Saints (all holiday zones included) and open every bank holiday (except Christmas and 1st January). Closed annually in January.
TOUR HISTORIQUE DE MONTAIGNE
24230 SAINT MICHEL DE MONTAIGNE
Telephone / Fax: +33 (0)5.53.58.63.93
www.chateau-montaigne.com
THE CITY OF BERGERAC (20 km from Sainte Foy La Grande)
The Pays de Bergerac in the south west of the Dordogne is a huge, rich land full of specific regional features. It is the gateway to Purple Perigord (so named after the colour of wine) and is an ideal destination for visitors to see all the treasures of the Dordogne.
Take the time to stroll around its many little streets, discover all the riches of the city and its museums – the Tobacco Museum, the Wine Museum, the Cloître des Récollets and the Maison des Vins de Bergerac.
Information from the Pays de Bergerac Tourist Office.