Brantôme en Périgord Brantome From the Bridge. Photo / Agnes Groonwald
See Brantome from the River Dronne
The best introduction to Brantome is from the water.
My husband and I boarded an electric boat that departed from the riverbank with a small group of French-speaking tourists, gliding underneath stone bridges and past the Benedictine abbey that sits at the heart of the town. I did my best to follow the French commentary over the hum of the motor, occasionally interrupted by laughter from the other passengers, most of whom clearly understood a lot more than I did.
Here’s what I managed to piece together. Local legend says Charlemagne founded the abbey in 769, though much of what visitors see today dates from later centuries. Its Romanesque bell tower, built in the 11th century, is one of the oldest in France. It’s unusual, too, standing apart from the main abbey buildings entirely.
From the river, I started to see how Brantome reveals itself in layers. The Dronne wraps almost entirely around the historic centre, and caves carved into the cliffs hint at the town’s monastic beginnings. Despite the warm weather, ours was the only boat on the river that afternoon. I couldn’t help but think of Venice’s packed canals. We’d visited there in February the year before, hoping for some low-season perks, and left feeling sticker shock over gondola rides.
Back on land, I found Brantome just as rewarding on foot. The river forms a natural island around the old town. Every bridge shows off another postcard-worthy view of the abbey reflected in the water. Taking pictures of it all was all I wanted to do.
Old mill in the city of Brantome, France. Photo / Getty Images
Explore the abbey and limestone caves
While the river is Brantome’s defining feature, the town’s history is closely tied to the limestone cliffs that surround it.
The Benedictine monks carved living spaces and religious sites directly into the limestone, adding to the network of troglodyte caves beside the abbey. Visitors can usually explore the chambers, including the Cave of the Last Judgment, but they were closed during my visit. I could only peek inside the entrance and imagine the centuries of history in those carved spaces.
Brantôme en Périgord. Photo / Agnes Groonwald
The abbey itself deserves your time, too. I found myself lingering in the peaceful cloister before wandering through the Monks’ Garden, where the sound of flowing water seemed to follow my steps.
Stay beside the water
Le Moulin de l’Abbaye (Brantôme en Périgord). Photo / Agnes Groonwald
To experience Brantome at its most atmospheric, we stayed at Le Moulin de l’Abbaye, a former mill converted into a hotel beside the Dronne. This felt like our Wes Anderson moment, all pale stone and the mill wheel churning water right outside the window.
Brantome’s riverfront is the kind of setting that makes you slow down, and this isn’t a place that demands a packed itinerary. I generally move through destinations at a speedy clip, but here I found myself lingering over a tiny espresso at breakfast just to watch the water for a while longer.
A base for exploring the Dordogne
Although Brantome is small enough to explore in a day, it’s also a good base for discovering more of the Dordogne, one of France’s most fairytale regions for medieval villages, chateau-hopping, and exceptional food.
Like many of our trips, this one quickly became as much about eating as sightseeing. The Perigord is famous for duck, walnuts, foie gras, seasonal truffles, and local wines, and we found those ingredients on menus throughout Brantome. Le Moulin de l’Abbaye has its own Michelin-starred restaurant, but we opted for its more casual sister bistro instead, Au Fil du Temps, a Perigord rotisserie spot in the village with a terrace overlooking the river.
Getting there
Brantome doesn’t have its own train station, so the easiest way in is by car. It’s under two hours from Bordeaux, and the drive winds through rolling countryside dotted with all kinds of potential stops. Some of my favourite moments in our multiple trips to the Dordogne Valley came from pulling over without a plan, whether for a cute village square or a stand selling fresh fruit and veg at prices I couldn’t pass up.
Flying in, Bordeaux is the nearest international airport, while Bergerac’s smaller airport sits about an hour’s drive away.
Why Brantome belongs on a France itinerary
Brantome isn’t trying to be the next Venice, and that’s what I loved about it.
I found the romance travellers search for in Europe without the feeling of competing with thousands of others for the same experience. The river still sets the rhythm here, and the medieval beauty never feels staged.
As I wandered along the Dronne one last time, watching the afternoon light catch the abbey’s stone walls, I loved not feeling like I was leaving anything off some imagined list. I just enjoyed being there.
On a continent where so many famous destinations reward careful planning and early starts, Brantome reminded me that sometimes the best places don’t ask for much other than a slower pace.
Details
france.fr/en/campaign/perigord-dordogne
The writer travelled courtesy of Dordogne Perigord Tourism.