Dordogne Tour Accommodations

Sunday

la Chartreuse du Bignac, sits on a hilltop with a 360 degree view of gently rolling hills graced by vineyards, woods and orchards.  This 17th century manor has been carefully restored with attention being paid to the period.  The property is set in 12 hectares of park-like grounds that include century-old boxwood trees, natural springs, a pond, a pigeonnier , an orchard, a herb garden and a 12th century vaulted ceiling wine cellar. 

Monday

Hotel Edward 1er was built in the late 19th century by a rich cattle merchant as his private home.  The little ‘town castle’ (gentilhommière in french) was built in order to show the proprietor’s wealth, facing the town and with two towers.  In the late 1930’s a dentist fleeing from the north of France afraid of the consequences of the imminent war, bought the house rightfully  thinking that Monpazier would be a relative safe haven from the effects of the war.  He owned the property until 1980 and still quite a few elderly know it as the ‘dentist’s house’.  One could suggest without exaggerating that the dentist spiced up romantic village life…….but we will leave the current owner, Arjan Capelle, to elaborate.  In the late 1980’s the ‘little castle’ was in an appalling state and it was eventually bought by a French couple who transformed it into a hotel and gave it the name of Edward 1er,  after the founder of the medieaval town of Monpazier.  In 2002 Arjan & Marije Capelle, a Dutch couple with a wealth of international hotelier experience, bought the hotel, adding the gastronomic restaurant and making the hotel the homely and much sought-after venue that it is today .

Tuesday
la Villa Romaine is situated in Carsac (Quercus Sacra), meaning sacred oak, and takes its name from  the ancient past when the Romans settled in the valley between the 1st and 2nd century to conquer Gaulle.  The property began its life when the victorious Romans decided to build on the banks of the Dordogne and a large Gallo-Roman villa was constructed to be the centrepiece of a vast and rich farm.  The settlement was supplied with water by an aqueduct, part of which is still visible in the grounds of the hotel today, and which comes from the village of Fontaine Bouyssou.  From its destruction by barbarian invasions until the acquisition of the domain in 1462 by the Bars family the history of the site is not completely clear, although the most recent excavations in 2009 uncovered many graves. It is thought that a cemetery would have been established in the ruins of the Gallo-Roman ruins. 

Wednesday
Hotel de la Madeleine

 

 

 

 

 

Thursday
Chateau de la Fleunie began its life in the 12th century with the construction of a look- out tower to spot possible enemies and other dwellings built of wood.  A chapel was also created at this time, but over a period of unsettled times the settlement was pillaged, burnt and finally abandoned.  The Great French Wine Blight of the mid-19th century destroyed many of the vineyards in France and nothing remained of the original construction due to the total annihilation of the vineyards of the Dordogne by the Phylloxera insect infestation.  In 1881 the Château was reconstructed as the architecture  stands today and during this period the Château de la Fleunie was a marvellous and prosperous domain of vineyards. The barrels of wine were transported on barges to be sold in different villages and places along the Vézère river.  Subsequently, the proprietors that followed left the Château to slowly deteriorate after both the building and the main left wing were burnt just after the Second World War and remained open to the sky for 40 years.  In 1987 the château was bought by the current owners who took three years to bring the château back to life and produce a charming hotel of 33 bedrooms.

Friday
Castel Novel bears the traces of the many centuries that have transformed its earliest construction.  The general foundations date from the end of the 14th century, with modifications being carried out in the 19th century.  Its military and defensive characteristics can still clearly be seen in the architecture and its position, perched high on a rocky outcrop.  The oldest and most original part may go back to the beginning of the Middle Ages  - though it cannot be dated exactly.  One of the château’s more recent owners was Henri de Jouvenel, journalist, talented orator, ambassador to Rome and an important man in political life.  His wife Sidonie-Gabrielle Colette, creator of Gigi, wrote several of her novels at Castel-Novel.  At the beginning of the century everyone who was anyone in political or literary life stayed at Castel-Novel with Henri de Jouvenel.

 

Stay in Luxury Accommodation

Hotels : Loire Valley | Provence | Dordogne

You will be staying in the most carefully selected chateaux and hotels on route, chosen for their setting, ambience and quality. Equal attention has been paid to the restaurants that allow you to sample the best gourmet regional cuisine of the areas that you are passing through.

Invariably they are in exceptional surroundings with the added benefit of a pool for that well deserved après-ride dip. All of our evenings offer that little bit extra, with many of our stays being at Chateaux or hotels of great pedigree and heritage. When you’ve been outdoors all day you really do deserve to be pampered and soothed in style and luxury.

Deluxe Cycle Tours has been recommended on Simonseeks.com. Simonseeks.com is a website where a community of travellers, journalists and celebrities can upload travel guides and share their tips on the best places to stay, eat and visit. Ranging from best hotels in Nice to cheap hotels in Cannes.