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Bergerac Mini Guide
Tell me a Little About Bergerac
Bergerac is a beautiful town in the Dordogne region of France and often included in the
Bordeaux region for its wines. It has the claim to fame as the home of the literary character Cyrano de Bergerac as well as having a stunning old town full of medieval houses and narrow, winding cobbled streets. Its fortunes in recent years have sprung from the twelve recognised wine appellations bestowed on its products as well as being a major tourist destination in the Bordeaux region. Essentially a commercial town because of the wine production, it has lost nothing of its charm, drawing tourists by the thousand each year.
How do I get Into Bergerac?
The town is served by the Bergerac Dordogne Périgord Airport which is found just less than two miles from the town. Almost all flights there come from the
UK via budget carriers and you can get into the town centre very easily by bus, taxi or hire car. You can also fly into Bordeaux as it's a bigger airport with more flights available and use
car hire Bordeaux airport to get to Bergerac which is just 60km.
What Should I see and do When in Bergerac?
Begin with a visit to the park to see one of two statues to the character Cyrano de Bergerac, famed for his big nose. The actual Cyrano never lived in the town and the appellation only came about because it tripped well off the tongue of the author. You can also take a boat trip along the Dordogne River that flows through the town and look back at the medieval heart from the water. If you’ve hired a car then the beautiful countryside of the Dordogne region is yours. Miles of grapevines dotted with the wineries of the region tempt you to stop and taste the local wine.
What Should I buy When in Bergerac?
It has to be wine if you’re staying in or around Bergerac. Some of the finest Bordeaux wines are made hereabouts and Bergerac is especially famous for the sweet dessert wine Montbazillac. Some of the region’s wine is worth laying down and it’s possible to engage the services of a wine expert from the town to advise you on what to buy. If you have a mobile device or access to a laptop you can send instant e-postcards for free from the website www.pays-de-bergerac.com and be sure that your friends will get them before you get home.
What About Eating and Drinking in Bergerac?
The region is famous for its traditional French cuisine including regional cheeses, tarts and casseroles, many liberally added to with the local wine. It would be criminal not to accompany the local dishes without a glass or a bottle of the local wine.
What About Festivals and Celebrations in the Town?
Religion and wine play a big part in the celebrations in Bergerac. Once a staunchly Catholic town, most of the Christian religious festivals are celebrated with street processions and parties. The start of spring is accompanied by a town fair linked in with the beginning of the growth of the vines. Finally, come September, many parties are held to celebrate the grape harvest and the first bottling of the season’s produce.
- A festival, celebrating people of the world and their respective cultures is taking place from April to June throughout the Bergerac region. Spring time in the Bastides, as the festival is known, attracts visitors from around the world.
- The town's tourist website lists 123 things to see and do in and around the town. Many of them are designated walking trails which take in a lot of the sights. Directions for the walks and explanations of what you'll see along the way can be downloaded from the website www.pays-de-bergerac.com.