Local Attractions
Restaurants & Cafes
Things to do
Chateaux & Villages
Local Restaurants & Cafes…
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Auberge Le Donjon
The varied menu based on French country cuisine is what you are offered at the Auberge Le Donjon. Try the excellent menu de jour, which is local food and wine perfect for a family or group lunch, perhaps as you enjoy a country walk through the forest and valleys that make Le donjon a perfect lunch stop.
As many guests affirm, the service by Christine is terrific. The lovely relaxed ambiance makes a good impression on visitors, Le Donjon is what we love about France and the Lot et Garonne!
Please note that you should book for groups and Le Donjon is only open for lunch.
Address: 979 route de Vezou, 47150 Gavaudun, France
Phone: +33 5 53 40 82 32
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La Pierre Blanche
Located in the countryside, halfway between the bastides of Villeneuve-sur-Lot and Monflanquin, La Pierre Blanche restaurant welcomes its guests in the middle of a green environment. Marie-Laure, in the kitchen, claims a southern cuisine that she has perfected over her long experiences in Lyon and Provence. She remains very demanding on the quality and freshness of the products she considers jewels sublimating her plates. Louis welcomes, serves and selects wines from Bordeaux, Lot-et-Garonne, Côtes-du-Rhône and a little Burgundy. Definitely worth the drive to eat at this lovely establishment, you can book online to avoid disappointment.
Address: Maynot, 47150 La Sauvetat-sur-Lède, France
Phone: +33 5 53 40 69 14
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L’ Effet Maison
Located under the arcades of the central square of the village of Monflanquin, a 13th century bastide and among the most beautiful villages in France. Working exclusively on fresh products directly with local producers, their menu changes every three weeks to keep up with the seasons and offer you quality cuisine. Passionate about travel, they also like to combine spices and flavours of the world. The reviews say everything, to avoid disappointment it’s advisable to book.
Address: 25 Pl. des Arcades, 47150 Monflanquin, France
Phone: +33 9 52 13 07 73
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Café des Allées
A bar with snacks, but also a multi-service place in development: Internet access, games, reading corner, exhibitions, concerts, musical oxen, conferences, meetings. Pop in for a drink or a bite to eat when passing, especially if you are on your bikes. Cafe des Allees is a lovely quite spot opposite the church in Montagnac sur Lede, that sometimes comes to life with a live event that makes your holiday memories!
Address: le bourg, 47150 Montagnac-sur-Lède, France
Phone: +33 5 53 70 18 95
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Le Café de Gavaudun Restaurant L’Essentiel
Beautiful situation, looking up to the ruined chateau at Gavaudun. The restaurant is very good. Outside seating and a large indoor restaurant. Good food a mix of French and international cuisine. A lovely spot for lunch to break up your walk through the beautiful La Lede river valley and local forests. – or perhaps just a beer or glass of wine at the end of your walk!
Address: Le Bourg, 47150 Gavaudun, France
Phone: +33 5 47 99 01 60
Things to do…
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Hot Air Ballooning in the Lot et Garonne
Hot air balloon flights are available depending on conditions from Gavaudun for 2 or 4 people.
Depending on the direction of the wind, you can fly over the most beautiful villages and amazing castles in the area. Your pilot is 4 times champion of France but also World and European champion Francois Messines.
tel:+33 6 11 47 93 79
tel:+33 6 09 90 53 75
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Local Walks
This wooded valley dominated by oaks and chestnut trees, invites you to discover, along La Lède which crosses it, the imposing castle of Gavaudun, the luminous site of Saint-Avit, the priory and the mysterious church of Laurenque, testifying of a dense history.
The castle, perched on a block 300 meters long and 40 meters high juts out, massive and slender promontory, in the middle of the valley. Inaccessible from all sides except on the north side where a trench was dug, it was a strong position in a valley linking Agenais to Périgord.
The entrance to the castle is through a cave followed by a well and a stone staircase. The 14th century keep, 70 meters high, is intact with its six floors.
The ocher stone houses, the wash house and the woods increase the appeal of this protected site.
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Villeneuve-sur-Lot Golf & Country Club
Villeneuve-sur-Lot Golf & Country Club has everything to please you!
Everything is there for you to spend some really unforgettable time, because Villeneuve-sur- Lot is one of the best 18 hole courses in Aquitaine with greens of incredible quality throughout the year, a gastronomic restaurant, a swimming pool, tennis court and a health and beauty salon.
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Kayaking
Kayaking one of the great rivers is a great way to spend a day out, there are a number of opportunities that get good reports:
Is the closest on the Lot near Montayral
Is another very highly rated about 45 – 50 minutes drive on the Dordogne at Castelnaud–la–Chapelle.
There are many other opportunities and companies offering kayaking rated by TripAdvisor
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Parc en Ciel
For those with energy to use up a visit to Parc en Ciel is recommended!
At Parc-en-ciel, you can climb trees, slide on zip lines but also play mini-golf, disc golf, an orienteering race, or simply walk in the park, picnic in the forest or by the pond, and even take a dip in natural and organic swimming on sunny days; Parc-en-ciel is the assurance of spending a pleasant day with family or friends!
Read more on TripAdvisor
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Market Days in Lot Et Garonne
Click for more info on the markets of Lot et Garonne
In particular I recommend the Market at Monsempron-Libos near Fumel that takes place every Thursday morning, Villereal for Saturday and Issygeac for Sunday are also very good and worth the drive.
My advice is to arrive at the markets before 11.00am before they start packing up, they dismantle their stalls remarkably quickly to move on to the afternoon.
Montagnac sur Lede just along the road from Salles has a small market on Thursday afternoons which is a good excuse to visit this lovely little village and perhaps enjoy a glass of wine at the cafe!
Local Castles, Chateaux & Bastides…
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Chateau Biron
The ancestral fortress of the Dukes of Biron is a gigantic vessel testifying to the historical richness of the place. A major site in New Aquitaine and classified as a historic monument in 1928, Biron is one of the largest in the South-West of France! Nearly 1000 years of history have sculpted this stone giant, presenting both a medieval, Renaissance and classical castle.
Chateau Biron is conveniently positioned near Monpazier and Villereal, so can make a great day out when combined with visiting one of these beautiful Bastide’s, perhaps on market day!
Château Biron also hosts many art exhibitions and events with something for everyone.
The fortress is positioned so that it dominates the horizon for miles around and can be seen from the ramparts of Monflanquin, quite simply Château Biron is majestic!
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Château de Gavaudun
Château de Gavaudun is situated just a few minutes from La Balie in the beautiful and quiet Gavaudun Valley (on the River Lede), that runs between Lacapelle Biron (and Chateau Biron) to the north and towards Monflanquin to the south, in the north of the Lot Et Garonne department.
It is the setting and the castle donjon (keep) that is the highlight of a visit to Gavaudun. Perched astonishingly on a jutting out rocky outcrop, the castle at Gavaudun towers over the village below, and over the valley which it was built to guard over.
Gavaudun also boasts a very good restaurant and Auberge, whilst during July and August the village host a weekly Soiree Gourmande and live music in the setting of the square beneath the castle tower, a magical setting by any measures!
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The village of Lauzerte
Lauzerte is a beautiful village to visit during the holidays. The village has beautiful old buildings and narrow streets. In the middle of the village is a large square. Around the square there are old houses with arched galleries (cornières), these are vestiges of the prosperity of the past.
There are terraces and lovely shops surrounding the square. The square branches out to many small streets which are defiantly worth exploring! If you walk towards the South you will find yourself at a large terrace which provides a magnificent view of the surroundings.
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Château de Bonaguil
A jewel of medieval architecture, Bonaguil Castle, located between Périgord and Quercy , in the town of Saint-Front-sur-Lémance , near Fumel , is one of the most beautiful castles in France.
Built in the 13th century , then transformed and enlarged at the end of the 15th and beginning of the 16th century by Baron Bérenger de Roquefeuil, this fortress, equipped with an impressive defense system, has never suffered the slightest attack. military. A perfect example of the evolution of architecture and military techniques from the Middle Ages to the beginnings of Vauban-style fortifications, through the Renaissance, Bonaguil Castle takes young and old on a real journey to the time of the knights . Keep, towers and turrets, barbican, chicane, casemate, gunboats, drawbridges and ditches, are all testimonies to this.
The top of the keep, equipped with a panoramic terrace, offers a superb view of the entire fortress and the surrounding green landscape.
The first week of August, the Bonaguil-Fumel festival offers plays at the Château de Bonaguil and at the Théâtre de la Nature de Fumel.
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The village of Issigeac
Issigeac was one of the undiscovered villages of the Dordogne region – truly a village that time forgot. That is no longer the case but the village has retained a great deal of its charm despite the arrival of tourism – and outside high season for tourists, the village is still very much a sleepy quiet little town with interesting streets to explore, restaurants, shops and cafes to enjoy.
The Sunday market in Issigeac is a popular place to buy and try many of the delicacies produced in the region. Although open all year, the market is of a completely different character during the summer months, when it has a real vibe and colour of the local legumes, and fruit the area is famous for.
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The Bastide of Monflanquin
The Bastide of Monflanquin, created by Alphonse de Poitiers in 1256, has been labeled among “The Most Beautiful Villages of France” since 1989. Discover this beautiful village sat high above the local countryside on its Pech where you will discover its charm, the central square, its arcades. But also, its Gothic church and the House known as the “Black Prince”. Enter the Tourist Office to learn more about the history of the Bastide’s and the local countryside and obtain the map of the Bastide and learn all its secrets!
The annual Medieval Festival usually takes place in mid-August over three days during which the bastide lives in medieval times with some of the most famous troops in France, municipal associations and services, and local shops. also… everyone is mobilizing to ensure catering, shows, parking and security.