The Local Area.
The seclusion and privacy of Les Brandes make it so special. But it is within easy distance of many things to do in the local area.
St Pompon
The nearest village, St Pompon, is 3km away. If you choose to walk, a footpath through woodland makes for a beautiful 45 minute walk. In St Pompon, there is a grocery shop, boulangerie, pharmacy and an excellent restaurant; La Forge. Each Saturday evening throughout the summer, a Marche Gourmande is held in St Pompon - take your own crockery, cutlery and glasses, buy food and drink from lots of local stalls, and enjoy your meal on trestle tables in the town square.
Daglan
Daglan, 9km from Les Brandes, is a lovely village with a shop, boulangerie, restaurants, cafes, pottery exhibitions and a great market on a Sunday. There is also a children's park beside the River Ceou, where you can paddle in the water and have a picnic. Daglan is home to several excellent restaurants including ‘Le Petit Paris’ and ‘L’ Annexe by Fabrice Le Chef’.
Bastides
The Dordogne is famous for its ‘bastide’ (fortified) towns. Domme, Belves and Monpazier are all fantastic examples of such towns in the vicinity of Les Brandes and well worth a visit.
Chateaux
Within a 20 minute drive, you will find the fantastic chateaux of the Dordogne valley: Castelnaud, with a display of medieval weaponry; and Milandes, the home of the dancer and singer, Josephine Baker, with a fantastic exhibition about her life. Throughout the summer these chateaux have various events and exhibitions. The hanging gardens at Marqueyssac hold candlelit evenings in the summer.
The Dordorgne!
Canoeing is a very popular pastime in the Dordogne and many companies offer a range packages for hire by the hour or by distance (with a bus service to take you to the start point). Most companies require children to be 5 years old.
Local markets
Monday: Les Eyzies
Tuesday: Cenac. Le Bugue.
Wednesday: Siorac. Sarlat. Bergerac.
Thursday: Domme. Lalinde.
Friday: St Pompon. Le Buisson de Cadouin.
Saturday: Sarlat. Le Bugue.
Sunday: Daglan. Casals. St Cypriere.
Caves
There are several notable caves in the local area. Closest to Les Brandes are the caves under Domme, which are well worth a visit. You can also visit original Troglodyte dwellings under the town of Belves.
La Roque Gageac
A picturesque town under a sheer rock face beside the Dordogne. You can visit old dwellings in the cliff high above the river, take a boat trip, hire a canoe or wander round the little shops and restaurants.
For the more active…
Hot air ballooning and rock climbing are also available in the local area. Further afield you can find theme parks, aquariums, soft play, go-karting and amusement parks all within the Périgord region.