Location description from owner

The Dordogne region

Located just inside the Dordogne/Charente border you have easy access to all that these two regions have to offer. The Dordogne is famous for its scenery, beautiful architecture, famous chateaux, prehistoric caves and not forgetting local specialities including truffles, foie gras, cheeses and of course wine. You can travel inland and drive along the Dordogne valley with magnificent castles perched on the clifftops, perhaps visit the interesting towns of Bergerac, Perigueux, Sarlat or beautiful Brantome known as the "Venice" of the Perigord with its many waterways running throughout the town.
Travelling westwards the towns and beaches of the Gironde estuary are just over an hour away by car. The wonderful city of Bordeaux is also around an hour away as are the many vineyards for which the area is famous. For the serious wine buff a trip to the famous wine producing area of the Medoc is a must where some of the biggest names in wine are produced - Lafite, Mouton-Rothschild and Margaux to name but a few. The stunning Unesco-listed hilltop village of St Emilion is also worth a visit for the beauty of its setting,medieval buildings and cobbled streets. You can also visit the underground labyrinth of catacombs including an 11th Century church and the saint's cave.

This year we have teamed up with Themed Holiday Ideas offering accommodation to complement the many themed interest holidays which they offer.

La Roche Chalais

Puymangou is close to St Aulaye, which has a supermarket, basic shops, post office and bank. This year the "Felibree" - an Occitan festival - with the whole town decorated and many events taking place, will take place in St Aulaye. over the first weekend of July. Further afield the towns of Chalais and La Roche-Chalais have a wider range of facilities and weekly markets.. Most towns and villages have a weekly open-air market, one of the biggest being in nearby Riberac.
Driving along the peaceful country roads you come upon one pretty village after another, many with Romanesque churches, quaint local houses and usually a bar or restaurant. A short drive away is Aubeterre-sur-Dronne, one of the most beautiful villages in France with it's riverside setting, pretty square full of tables and chairs, and old wooden-balconied houses spilling down the hillside. It is particularly famous for its subterranean monolithic church carved from the hillside and still used for weddings and concerts.
The area offers a wide choice of leisure pursuits. There are river beaches at Aubeterre and St. Aulaye, the latter also has a tree-climbing adventure playground. At Lake Jemaye (14km) there is a large supervised sandy beach by the lake which offers swimming, fishing and canoeing. River canoeing is also available at several sites on local rivers. At nearby Parcoul Water Park (5km) you will find a lake beach, small playpark, waterslides and paddle boats. Fishing, golf, horseriding, cycling and walking are all available in the area.
The Dordogne is a popular area for artists and craftsmen with many shops and galleries offering works by local artists. If you are interested in painting or photography you will be spoilt for choice, whether your interest is countryside, flora and fauna, architecture or local colour. St Aulaye is famous for its Museum of Pastels and this year (2016) the biennial International Exhibition of Pastels will be taking place.