Bergerac France - French Holidays
Auvergne/Massif Central: Introduction > Bergerac > Cahors > Clermont-Ferrand > Dordogne > Limoges > Périgueux > Vichy
BergeracBergerac is the largest town in the Périgord Pourpre département, an area that derives its name from the purple grapes that grow in the region's 125 sq km of vineyards. The most famous wines are the sweet whites produced around Monbazillac. On the plains of the Dordogne, Bergerac is a modern town with scattered remnants from its interesting and violent past. In the 16th century it was a Protestant stronghold and it endured much damage during that period. The old city and harbour retain their charm, however, making Bergerac a good place to stop if you are heading west to Bordeaux from Périgueux, for example.
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Map of Bergerac
Bergerac airport information - http://www.bergerac.aeroport.fr/
For those interested in the wine or tobacco trades, of which Bergerac is still an important market centre, there are two museums worth a look in the old town. The Musée du Tabac (€3) in a 17th-century house on rue de l'Ancien-Pont has collections of pipes and tools to illustrate the weed's history. The Musée Régional de la Batellerie on rue des Conferences (€1) contains displays about the river-trade in the area as well as about barrel making and viticulture.
Contrary to popular belief, the 17th-century philosopher, dramatist and satirist Savinien Cyrano de Bergerac had very little to do with the town of Bergerac. There is a statue in honour of him in the heart of the old town, but he only spent a few nights here in his lifetime.
Bergerac has an airport 5km southeast of town, where you can get a taxi into the centre for about €10, or the gare SNCF is a ten-minute walk from the centre at the end of cours Alsace-Lorraine. The tourist office can be found at 97 rue Neuve-d'Argenson northeast of the old town (05 53 57 03 11).
Hotels in Bergerac tend to have fairly decent restaurants as well, for example the Hotel de Bordeaux on place Gambetta (05 53 57 12 83) has a pool, gardens and rooms from €55-70, while its restaurant has menus from €20. Regional cuisine can be sampled at the Poivre et Sel opposite the Musée du Tabac at 11 rue de l'Ancien-Pont, with menus from €15, or at L'Imparfait at 8 rue des Fontaines (05 53 57 47 92) with menus from €19-45. In mid-July there is a food festival, known as La Table de Cyrano, which takes place during the week commencing 14th July.
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