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Where is Nontron?

Map of Nontron

Map of Nontron | Route Finder

The house is situated by the ramparts in the old quarters of Nontron.

These buildings originate from the 17th century. Further down the street is the actual spot where, during the Siege of Nontron, Richard the Lion heart was struck by the arrow that mortally wounded him. (He was carried to Chalus, where he died).

Tennis, swimming, restaurants, bars and shopping are with in only two minutes walk. Horse- riding, boating, windsurfing is available at the lake at St. Estephe (about 10 minutes drive). Other leisure lakes are with in easy distance.

Local shops

There is a market every Saturday and festivals in the town throughout the summer. The local swimming pool is also available throughout the summer months; it's an open-air pool and a 10-minute walk from the house. The historic towns of Brantôme and Bordeilles are within 15 minutes drive.

Golfing, hiking and water sports activities are all with in 20km of Nontron. Just ask at the tourist information office for details.

Nontron is also famous for its knife making. The methods and techniques used in making these have remained virtually unchanged since the fifteenth century when they were first in manufacture. In fact the workshop where they are hand made by local craftsman is the oldest continually running cutlery forge in France. It is certainly worth a visit to this exceptional piece of local history, still in the making.

Nontron it self is in the heart of the Perigord' Limousin's regional Natural Park. A wonderful place to enjoy forest walks and guided tours of old Nontron, which the tourist information office provides.

Not far from Nontron is "the Venice of the Perigord" Brantôme. Brantôme is definitely worth a visit with its excellent caves and restaurants, not to mention the thousand year old ancient abbey and beautiful abbey gardens.

Angouleme offers a great hill top view over the city and has excellent nightlife. It has a wonderful atmosphere, one of the best cities to get lost for the day. Angouleme is famous for its wall paintings which once you spot them you notice are just about everywhere. It also has many fascinating museums most of which have free entry. The cartoon museum is a must see and can be enjoyed by all the family.

Angouleme also has many clothes, shoes and perfume shops ideal for any one who loves retail therapy.

Perigueux is a wonderful city to visit it has a varied selection of shop ranging from shoes and clothes, to the more traditional delicatessens and patisseries. In Perigueux you can see some excellent examples of the regions specialties. Foie gras is everywhere and also a fantastic choice of chocolates and hand made toffees and fudge. Ice cream is also a speciality of the region well worth trying. Perigueux really is the gastronomic centre, a place to see it all and try it all.

Limoges is a great centre of museums and of course is famous for it procaine. You can go into any street and find several porcelain shops. The quality is exceptional and price tag is often the same. For excellent choice the shops of the outer edges of Limoges often offer porcelain with a slightly more reasonable price tag. Although there are warehouses of porcelain to look around so you can really take your time and pick out that perfect gift or piece for the house.

For a really excellent time, it's well worth taking the family down to the south of the Dordogne. Bergerac is wonderful area to explore with many wine caves and tasting. Sarlat not only has an excellent market but is also a very beautiful town and is full of wonderful antique shops which you can easily spend hours in. There are also many street cafes and shops.

Cafe's

Just down from Sarlat along the Dordogne River are three places you have to visit if you have already travel this far. These are La Roque- Gageac, Beynac and Domme. These are all in very close proximity to each other and all offer some thing very different.

La Roque- Gageac is probably one of the best places to catch a boat trip up the Dordogne River, it isn't expensive and you get a very in-depth history of the area. From floods to when pieces of cliff face have fallen, plagues and thieving. The Dordogne River has a very interesting history, as it was the main route for all industries in to the region as well as being heavily used for transporting weapons for the French revolution and of course the world wars.

Nontron's history relates strongly with the river, as Nontron was one of Napoleons Canon forgeries. This is also included in the history of La Roque- Gageac.

The other thing that makes La Roque-Gageac individual is that it is home to the Troglodytes. You can walk through the cave systems which they inhabited and see how they managed to get water from deep inside the rock.

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Shopping in Nontron

There are three supermarkets in Nontron. They are Super U, Intermarché and Spar. Spar is a short walk up the main high street. Super U and Intermarché are just out of town, heading in the direction of Piegut. They are open Monday to Saturday 9.00am till 7.00pm.

Super U is also open on Sunday morning's 9.00am till 11.00pm. St.Mathieu and Piegut both have supermarkets and shops. Shops will also close for two hours for lunch, which is from 12.00 till 2.00. Except for the supermarkets.

Markets in Nontron

Piegut on Wednesday morning (finished approx. 12 noon). Super, big, typically French market - worth visits. The market sells everything from fruit and veg to clothes and shoes. Piegut offers a bustling town atmosphere where you can enjoy numerous food stands and an excellent choice of cheese.

Nontron on Saturday morning is a very pretty market, mainly fruit and veg. Nontron market is very proud to offer local produce and craftwork. Livestock sales are often commonplace. Also one at Thiviers.

Brantôme market on Tuesday and Friday is a relaxing market where you can meander around the beautiful town and soak up the atmosphere whilst enjoying a drink in one of the street side cafes. Brantôme also has excellent ice cream bars.

If you wish to travel further a field for a spectacular market then Sarlat's markets are incredible held on Wednesday and Saturday. Best to take a day out for this one as it can carry on into the night. Although it is a comfortable hour and three quarts drive away.

Perigueux and Angouleme also offer excellent markets. Perigueux is worth the visit for the market but also for the much-photographed domed roof of its spectacular and famous medieval church.

Spectacular scenary

For details of days when it is on all the information can be found in Nontron's Tourist Information office, where they speak some English.

Local information is left for our guests in the house.

Leisure Activities in Nontron

There is a swimming pool locally in Nontron. When you enter in to Nontron it is on the right hand side behind the campsite. It is open from the 1 st of June from 10.00am till 12.00am and from 4.00pm till 7.00pm depending on the weather.

Riding - St. Estephe. Lakes - There are three leisure lakes in the area with restaurants and bars.

  1. St. Estephe
  2. The Grand Lac (on the road from St. Mathieu to Maeval)
  3. St. Mathieu (follow signpost to the lake when you approach St. Mathieu).

Throughout the summer months, each village has a Fete and there are often many festivals in Nontron. The Entente Cordial bar in Abjat display posters of events and the owners who are English usually know what's happening in the area.

Guided tours of Old Nontron are highly recommended for giving an in depth background of the town. For "Ancient Man" sites Perigueux, Montbazillac, Bergerac, Sarlat and Eyzies are the places to go. Along with Villars and the Lascaux caves.

Water sports, Go Karting, Fishing, tennis, Horse riding, Hiking and Golf are all activities which are available, in around Nontron. Canoeing is a great fun day out for everyone. You can choose to start at just about any point of the Dronne River. There are several collection points where you can pick up your canoe and start you adventure. Be prepared for getting wet though, as you will probably end up getting soaked, a hot summer's day is the best time for this. Canoeing is an activity which all the family can enjoy as you go through Brantôme under the bridges and over the small waterfalls. It is very safe and can be as strenuous as you want to make it.

You can stop when you like leaving the canoes at a drop point where you can be taken by minibus back to where you started.

Tennis is in Nontron and St Pardoux and you can find Go Karting in Javerlac, which is one of the next towns from Nontron. Javerlac offers an excellent track with fast machines. Loved by teenagers.

For all the other local activities please go to the Tourist Information Office.

Restaurants in Nontron

There are four restaurants in Nontron also four in Piegut. It has often been suggested to have a meal in Nontron's 'GRAND HOTEL PÉLISSON' as the food here is second to none.

This is a family run and owned hotel and restaurant situated in the heart of Nontron. There is a comfortable lounge where you can enjoy an aperitif before you go through to the main dinning room where you can enjoy an excellent range of cuisine and a fantastic selection of patisseries all made in the kitchens which if you get a glimpse are a fantastic sight. Prices range from15 Euros to 37 Euros per person. This is an ideal restaurant for a celebration or treat, where you can dress up or be as relaxed as you wish.

During the summer you can enjoy your meal out on the terrace. Brantôme has many restaurants, prices ranging from 10 Euros to 35 Euros.

There is restaurant just of the main high street on the corner opposite a fantastic patisserie. It is called 'Le feu en Bois' and although you have to ring to book a table offers an excellent range of meals, well cooked and well presented. The décor may not look fantastic but this place is a real experience. The Chef is a wonderful friendly man very proud of his culinary creations. You can also watch him cooking your food on an open grill in the main dinning room of the restaurant.

There are also restaurants at St. Berthelemy - Presbytery Auberge that is a lovely restaurant by a church. (Best value in the area) Follow the road to St. Mathieu and you will see the sign to St. Berthelemy.

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