Things To Do
Day trips, restaurants, wineries, kids
Market Days
Wednesday — Bergerac
Regular weekly market.
Thursday — Eymet
Also Sainte-Foy-la-Grande evening summer market.
Saturday — Sainte-Foy-la-GrandeTHE one
THE must-do. One of the 100 most beautiful markets in France, 200+ stalls.
Summer evenings — Various villages
Night markets with food stands and concerts.
Day Trips
Half day
Medieval UNESCO village with wine tasting, underground monuments, and cobbled streets.
Half or full day
Old town, river walks, gabare boat trips (traditional flat-bottomed boats, April–October, book ahead). Bowling, aquapark, and go-karting on the outskirts.
Full day
Cité du Vin wine museum, Miroir d'Eau fountain (kids love it), old town.
Half day
16th century château, wine museum, tastings (€12 inc. tour), sweet wine. On-site restaurant.
Restaurants
Walking distance
2 Rue du Maréchal Ferrand, Pessac-sur-Dordogne
Riverside terrace. Steaks, tapas, simple menu. Great views. Casual.
🌱 Vegetarian lasagna noted in reviews.
06 22 17 61 541 Place Du Pont, Pessac-sur-Dordogne
French cuisine, riverside location.
Wed–Sat lunch, Sun lunch.
🌱 Limited vegan options — call ahead.
1 Cote de La Tourbeille, Juillac
Stunning sunset views over the Dordogne. Burgers, salads, local wine. Casual and family-friendly.
ONLY OPEN SUNDAYS (lunch and dinner).
🌱 Salads available, limited vegan mains.
⚠️ Can be very slow — reviews mention up to 2 hr wait for kids' meals.
05 24 24 75 92Gensac (~10 mins)
3 Rue du Périgord, Saint-Seurin-de-Prats
"World class food in rural Bordeaux." Run by couple Virginie and Hervé. Creative French cuisine, fantastic service.
🌱 Call ahead for vegan options.
👨👩👧 One review mentions their daughter told the chef the food "warmed her heart."
05 53 58 80 163 Allée de la République, Gensac
Wine bar/restaurant. Generous portions, good value. Try the roasted Camembert.
Thu–Sat evenings.
05 57 46 49 732624 Sanse, Sainte-Radegonde
Château hotel restaurant with stunning terrace views. Upscale but welcoming to families (children's menu noted).
🌱 VEGAN FRIENDLY — review confirms they created a special 3-course vegan menu when called ahead. Best local vegan option.
05 57 56 41 10Bergerac (~40 mins)
58 Rue Bourbarraud, Bergerac
Fully vegetarian café with vegan options. Lebanese-inspired, everything homemade, fresh seasonal menu. Excellent coffee.
Wed–Sat lunch only (11:30am–2:30pm).
🌱 Fully vegetarian with vegan options. Best vegan lunch option.
06 09 86 19 8330 Rue de la Résistance, Bergerac
Tea room / light lunch. Soups, avocado toast, smoothies. Good vegetarian options.
Tue–Sat 8:45am–6pm.
🌱 Good veggie options, some vegan.
05 53 63 40 3619 Rue de l'Ancien Pont, Bergerac
Indian restaurant — reliable vegan/vegetarian options (dal, vegetable curries, etc). Open daily lunch & dinner.
Daily, lunch and dinner.
🌱 Multiple vegan dishes available as standard.
05 53 74 81 32Saint-Émilion (~20 mins)
3 Place du Marché au Bois, Saint-Émilion
Fine dining, Michelin quality. Beautiful cave setting. Fixed course meals. Book well ahead.
05 57 24 71 4038 Rue Guadet, Saint-Émilion
Reliable French bistro — duck confit, lamb, good wine. Views of bell tower. English menu available.
05 57 74 42 72Route de Libourne, Saint-Émilion
Fairytale château setting with pond and gardens. Exceptional food, very reasonable for the quality. Open daily.
👨👩👧 Pet and family friendly.
05 57 55 37 00Wineries
Prestigious estates
16th century château, wine museum, sweet wine tastings. On-site restaurant. Open year-round.
Tastings: €12 inc. tour
Owned by the Saint-Exupéry family (The Little Prince author's relatives). Structured reds. 600m² rock-carved cellar tour. Book 24hrs ahead; English tours 2pm summer.
Tastings: €7–15
Benchmark organic/biodynamic estate. Pioneered organic conversion in 1994. Hilltop setting among truffle oaks.
Tastings: €8–25
10am–noon, 2–5pm
Small & natural producers
Irish expat biodynamic producers. English-language tours. Great for wine tourists who want a personal, educational visit.
Natural wine producer. Worth seeking out.
Wine shopping
E.Leclerc Pineuilh
Best supermarket wine selection and value in France.
Intermarché
Also strong for regional selections.
Cave Laregnere, Sainte-Foy-la-Grande
The region's largest wine shop.
Kid-Friendly Activities
Canoe club right at the village with restaurant. 8km and 15km tours. 8km good with kids. Bus to start point, paddle back.
Open mid-June to mid-September.
⚠️ Minimum age 5–6. Orla is too young — one adult stays with her at the riverside restaurant/beach.
06 63 82 34 53The "château of 1,000 games." Indoor and outdoor activities: labyrinth, grass skiing, giant games, treasure hunts, summer maze. Perfect for ages 6–8.
Open Feb–Oct.
Four swimming pools, water chutes. On the Route de Bordeaux near Leclerc. Good for a hot day.
Traditional flat-bottomed boat on the Dordogne. Departs Quai Salvette. Suitable for all ages including babies.
April–October. Book ahead in summer.
World's largest reflecting pool on the Bordeaux waterfront. Kids run through the mist jets. Free. Combine with Cité du Vin or old town.
Dordogne river at Pessac-sur-Dordogne has pebble beaches and swimming spots near the canoe club. Unsupervised — bring water shoes (stony riverbed).
Pool (with shallow end), trampoline, games room (pool table, Wii, PS3, darts), Smart TV with streaming + DVDs, grounds to explore, BBQ evenings on the terrace.
Rainy Day Options
Pool table, Wii, PS3, darts, log burner.
Fully indoor, interactive. Great for the 8-year-olds.
It's water anyway.
Kids over 7 and 1.3m+.
Worth the Longer Drive (1–1.5 hrs)
World-famous prehistoric cave art replica. Interactive. Great for the 8-year-olds.
Underground river boat ride. Spectacular. Book well ahead in August.
Enormous 1km-long cliff dwelling site with lifesize figures. Kids love it.
Parc-en-Ciel and others in the region. Rope bridges, zip lines.