Villefranche du Perigord

Villefranche-du-Périgord is a bastide located in the south of the departement, at the border of the Lot-&-Garonne. I park near the Place de la Halle. I notice straight away all the authentic features of the bastide with its yellow stone buildings from the Black Perigord.

The market hall is quite big, with several imposing stone pillars. The various sizes of grain measurement pots are still here. The wooden frame completes this art piece. There are a lot of flowers in the village and I cannot tell you all the varieties of flowers surrounding the place. The colours are warm with purple, pink and white, a real mix !

Just in front of the market hall, there is a two star hotel with a restaurant. The charm of the building is especially enhanced by the typical gothic arcades of the bastide. This restaurant offers local produce, pancakes and ice creams. The chestnut is obviously the highlight.

I head now towards the Church of Notre-Dame, I find the facade rather unusual. The inside has been fully refurbished and the contrast with the outdoor architecture is therefore distinct. The decoration is sober and I thought it would be bigger. Few stained glass windows decorate the walls. Historical boards are everywhere in the bastide to provide some contextual information.

I now go back up the large street called Notre Dame. There are many small shops : corner shops, hairdressers, tobacco shops, bakeries etc… These shops all seem very keen on local products. I really loved the boutique « Rencontre des saveurs ». Its facade is really nice and the products in the window attract my attention. Inside, the shelves are full of regional products and some that are rather original : astrological signs jam, various oils, treats, teas, all types of ducks base products and wines. There is also a food court.

The Villefranche-du-Périgord Tourist office is also in that street. All summer, every Tuesday at 3pm the Tourist Office organises tours of the bastide, gourmet walks every Wednesdays at 3pm (2 hours with tasting) and also a chesnut discovery tour with tasting takes place every Thursday at 3pm. Just get your tickets at the Tourist Office if you are interested. The Tourist Office also sells chestnut based products such as gaspacho, liquor, grilled chestnuts or chestnut cream. All these products are artisanal and local. I am amazed by the large selection on offer !

Villefranche-du-Périgord is a charming bastide ideal for holidays. There is everything you may need on site, it is a simple and traditional village which kept its old splendour. The soul of the Périgourdines traditions can be found in each stone of the bastide. There is also a Musée des Traditions of the Perigord. It’s free to visit but you need to ask to the Tourist Office to be able to visit it. Villefranche-du-Périgord is absolutely full of good mouth-watering things.

Life is pleasant here, it is calm and relaxing and not far from many tourist and leisure sites. A true delight in all the senses especially with these nice products and its architecture inherited from the Middle Ages.

Have a great visit !

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