Useful Links...

Ferry Companies.

You can plan your holiday and book your ferry crossing to France. from the Brittany Ferries web site. There's a wide choice of sailings from Plymouth, Poole and Portsmouth, traveling to Caen, Cherbourg, St Malo, Roscoff or Santander - all have easy access to the major road networks in France & Spain. Visit the Web Site....

The P&O fleet sailing from Portsmouth has transformed people's ferry experience through the quality and choice of our onboard facilities. And our policy of constantly upgrading and adding to our facilities means that we'll continue to set the standard for travel to the continent.

P&O Ferries plan to keep the whole family happy. Whatever your destination - Cherbourg, Caen, Le Havre or Bilbao - you'll find that your trip is packed with entertainment for all ages. Visit the web site...

Airlines.

Bergerac Airport: is 42 km (approx) from Les Hirondelles. There are taxis and car-hire facilities. Bergerac is 93 km by road from Bordeaux, 91 km from Agen and 111 from Angoulême. There is no autoroute or TGV but there is a rail service to Bordeaux. Ryanair takes 90 minutes from Stansted daily. Visit the web site... Additionally there are services from Birmingham, Leeds and East Midlands Airports.

Weather Reports.

Get the very latest weather reports for the area. Visit the web site...

Disclaimer: The companies listed are provided for information purposes only, we make no claim about affiliation to any of the companies above and all logos and trademarks remain under the express copyright of the relevant parties.

Information and Links

Location

Paunat is situated betweeen medieval Limueil and the village of Tremalat, which is home to the National Watersports Center. Paunat itself is also a beautiful medieval village with it's own unique abbey.

According to legend, a pilgrim vowed to found an abbey in the spot where his staff, touching the ground took root. And hence PALNATUM which became, over centuries, POANAT, PAUNAC and, finally, PAUNAT.

The village of Paunat, nestled in the hollow of a valley, has - apart from the abbey church - old houses, a presbytery, wash-house, spring and a stream which runs under the town hall. Paunat is situated in the canton of St Alvère and can be reached by the D703 and C3 roads. Paunat boasts a second site of particular interest in the SORS cliffs carved out of rock by the confluence of the Pradelue and Dordogne rivers. There is an excellent local restaurant – Le Restaurant De L'abbatiale – which has a very friendly, English speaking staff. The restaurant also sells fresh bread after 9.30. You can read more about Paunat and the Bergerac region here.

You need a whole fortnight to explore Sarlat, the Dordogne Valley, the Romanesque churches and medieval chateaux and to sample the pleasures of périgord. You can recharge your batteries (trails on foot or by mountain bike) or fill your winter larder (wines, foie gras truffles, etc.) and immerse yourself in prehistory.

At almost every turn, signposts point out Romanesque churches, medieval fortresses and prehistoric settlements. Follow our suggestions for the best days out in this seductive area of France. Bon appetit!

The Dordogne

On it's 500–kilometre journey from the mountains of the Massif Central to it's confluence with the Garonne, the River Dordogne slices dramatically between sheer cliffs of ash-grey limestone splashed with gold and apricot, and loops peacefully through fertile valleys of walnut orchards, tobacco, strawberries, and vines. It's broad blue–green meanders reflect ancient honey-stone villages that tumble down vertical bluffs crowned by fortresses or imposing chateaux that seem to grow organically out from their rocky spurs.

This is a popular stamping ground for British tourists, second-homers, and émigrés seeking their place in the sun, who continue to lay siege to the same towns, villages and chateaux targeted during the Hundred Years War. Alongside market stalls offering walnut oil and tartes aux pruneaux you can find an incredible array of restaurants, patisseries and specialist shops selling local produce. Away from the beaten track, you will discover secret corners and forgotten villages, where dogs sunbathe in the middle of the road and chickens, not sightseers, have right of way.

Périgord

Give tribute to Caesar - your first visit must be to Maintaigne country where Périgord's most famous son grew up. Then go and sample the sweet wines of Monbazillac before heading for Bergerac, the pretty tobacco capital of France. You then enter the age-old forests of Le Double, re-emerging at Ribérac. Visit one of the local farms and the domed Romanesque churches, or even hire a bicycle to do a tour of the local chateaux. In any event don't miss the two Chateaux at Brantõme. Take a dip in the pool at Saint-Estephe then turn treasure hunter and set off to find black gold at the truffle museum at Sorges. Drop in on the geese and duck farms and stock up for the winter.

Reserve at least half a day to wander around the fascinating street of Périgeux, especially if it's market day. See the attractive domes of the Cathédrale Saint-Front. If you like French gardens, head for Hautefort. Not far from there, the Auvézere gorges are best appreciated on foot or by bike. Spend a few silent minutes by the tomb of the King of Pategonia in Tourtoirac before plunging into the heart of Périgord Noir for some pre–historical therapy. Follow the prehistory trail from Les Eyzes to Lascaux. Some effort is required to see the 30, 000-year-old paintings of Cro–Magnon man. Breathtaking stuff. A visit to the Préhisto–Parc and Espace Cro-Magnon will complete your course in the origins of man.

Then it's on to magnificent medieval Sarlat. You need a full day to explore the town, beginning early morning with the market. To round off your tour of Perigord, visit the fortifications of Domme and have a meal there. The spectacular view of the Dordogne, lined here with numerous chateaux. and fortresses (including Beynac, Marqueyssac and Castelnaud) will leave an indelible impression of this delightful valley.

You can read more about the Perigord and Dordogne region by visiting the official Tourist Information web site, please click here to visit the site.