Although some travelling shops call in Saint Julien, the nearest shops are in Bourdeilles (5km/3 miles), where there is a post office but no bank. There is a small local produce market on Sunday mornings and a Wednesday evening market during July and August. Brantôme (8km/5 miles) has a full range of shops including a couple of supermarkets, a market on Friday mornings and an ever-growing number of restaurants. There are two banks with a cash dispenser and a post office, doctor, dentist and vet. Périgueux (about 30km/18 miles) has everything you would expect in a city, including a choice of hypermarkets, a cathedral, a selection of museums and a very attractive mediaeval quarter.
There is a network of way-marked public footpaths, one of which leads past Les Vignasses and continues into the woods, where you can follow a circular route back into St Julien or go down into Bourdeilles, Brantôme or maybe Puy Fromage (Cheese Hill).
The area is a favourite with French as well as foreign tourists and there is plenty to do, especially in the summer. Once you have explored Bourdeilles with its magnificent château (well worth a visit) and Brantôme (the ‘Venice of the Périgord’) you are still spoilt for choice. In the immediate vicinity, apart from the wonderful scenery and delightful towns and villages, there are several châteaux that can be visited, together with some caves, including the “Grotte de Villars” with its prehistoric cave paintings, where there is a very good visitors’ centre and guides. If you don’t fancy canoeing you can take a boat trip on the Dronne from Brantôme and get a different perspective of the town. Slightly further afield, but within easy reach for day trips are the Dordogne river itself with spectacular views from places like Domme and wonderful towns such as Sarlat. This is the area that most people think of as “The Dordogne”, and it can get very crowded in the summer. The famous caves at Lascaux (or at least the “copies” – they’ve had to close the originals) are only some of a great number of truly spectacular cave systems not too far away. Although you’ll see small vineyards around us, these are all for private consumption and you have to go down towards Bergerac or Saint Emilion (about an hour away) to find serious wine country. Cognac is a similar distance to the north east. You can swim in the river at Lisle (about 8 miles) where there is an organised “beach” in July and August with a lifeguard and a roped-off area for toddlers. There are also fairly local lakes for swimming, boating, etc. There are tennis courts in Brantôme and horse riding and rock climbing nearby. The Dronne is ideal for canoeing, with several weirs to make life more interesting. You can hire canoes in Brantôme or Bourdeilles or use ours at your own risk if you can sort the logistics out (i.e. how to get back to where you started!). It is also full of fish and you can buy a licence to try your luck. We have a range of bicycles, including a tandem, which you are also welcome to use at your own risk. Please look after them and leave them in working order.
There is a network of way-marked public footpaths, one of which leads past Les Vignasses and continues into the woods, where you can follow a circular route back into St Julien or go down into Bourdeilles, Brantôme or maybe Puy Fromage (Cheese Hill).
The area is a favourite with French as well as foreign tourists and there is plenty to do, especially in the summer. Once you have explored Bourdeilles with its magnificent château (well worth a visit) and Brantôme (the ‘Venice of the Périgord’) you are still spoilt for choice. In the immediate vicinity, apart from the wonderful scenery and delightful towns and villages, there are several châteaux that can be visited, together with some caves, including the “Grotte de Villars” with its prehistoric cave paintings, where there is a very good visitors’ centre and guides. If you don’t fancy canoeing you can take a boat trip on the Dronne from Brantôme and get a different perspective of the town. Slightly further afield, but within easy reach for day trips are the Dordogne river itself with spectacular views from places like Domme and wonderful towns such as Sarlat. This is the area that most people think of as “The Dordogne”, and it can get very crowded in the summer. The famous caves at Lascaux (or at least the “copies” – they’ve had to close the originals) are only some of a great number of truly spectacular cave systems not too far away. Although you’ll see small vineyards around us, these are all for private consumption and you have to go down towards Bergerac or Saint Emilion (about an hour away) to find serious wine country. Cognac is a similar distance to the north east. You can swim in the river at Lisle (about 8 miles) where there is an organised “beach” in July and August with a lifeguard and a roped-off area for toddlers. There are also fairly local lakes for swimming, boating, etc. There are tennis courts in Brantôme and horse riding and rock climbing nearby. The Dronne is ideal for canoeing, with several weirs to make life more interesting. You can hire canoes in Brantôme or Bourdeilles or use ours at your own risk if you can sort the logistics out (i.e. how to get back to where you started!). It is also full of fish and you can buy a licence to try your luck. We have a range of bicycles, including a tandem, which you are also welcome to use at your own risk. Please look after them and leave them in working order.