Périgueux, cultural and tourist capital of Périgord

Lose yourself in the medieval streets lined with half-timbered houses, discover the magnificent Renaissance mansions finely carved and decorated and then take a leap into history by walking the grand boulevards in the Haussmann style that evoke the atmosphere from the 19th century and the Belle Epoque.

Périgueux also has many parks and gardens such as the Arènes garden surrounded by a 1st century Roman amphitheater and more than 200 km of marked hiking trails in the forest and along the river. If you have time, don't hesitate to take a short canoe trip to admire the Périgord's natural heritage.

To see, to do in Périgueux:

• The Saint-Front Cathedral, whose origins date back to the 4th and 5th centuries: Greek cross plan according to the model of the Church of the Holy Apostles in Constantinople, the oldest bell tower in France and the only one in the Byzantine style in the world, crypts from the 12th century.
• The Vésone tower: remains of a Gallo-Roman temple dedicated to Vesunna, the tutelary goddess of the Pétrucores (1st or 2nd century)
• The Château Barrière (12th - 16th centuries) whose truncated eastern tower offers a door with flamboyant decoration
• The houses on the Quays: the Hôtel Salleton, the Maison des Consuls and the Maison Lambert,
• The Museum of Art and Archeology of Périgord: course of artistic creation from prehistory (4th national collection) to the present day, passing through Africa and Oceania.
• The Gallo-Roman Vesunna Museum: the site-museum presents the Roman origins of Périgueux on the remains of a large Gallo-Roman residence, the "domus" of Vésone. To see: archaeological collections retracing the ancient city and the lifestyles of the Pétrucores, founders of Périgueux.
• The Military Museum of Périgord: military souvenirs brought back by the Périgords during their campaigns and nearly 12,000 objects from the Middle Ages to the present day to discover the daily life of the soldiers.

Consult more info on the visit to Périgueux