In the heart of Neuvic, there is a twice-weekly market, on Tuesday and Saturday mornings. We also have two bakers, a butcher, a florist, a post office, a doctors’ surgery, a pharmacy and a tourist office, all within a 3-minute walk from the house. There are two restaurants around the centre, with two more on the outskirts, one of which offers a crazy golf course. In the main square, opposite the church, is a traditional café, and a bric-a-brac, both serving drinks and snacks.
Neuvic has its very own chateau, which has been converted to a catering school. It offers a restaurant and arboretum. You can stroll down to the Isle river from the villa, where, at the edge of the village is a camp site and sports centre, offering tennis, water slides and boating. And what about a tour of Neuvic’s own caviar farm, or the walnut oil mill?
Saint Astier, only 11 kilometres away, boasts a huge market on Thursday mornings, one of the celebrated “Marchés de France”, selling all manner of local produce, kitchenware, clothes and much more.. Also, in the area, you can enjoy canoeing, golf and horse-riding.
For a full day out, the choices are many. The picturesque towns of Perigueux, the capital of the Dordogne, and Bergerac, with their historic quarters and boutique shopping, are 25 and 35 minutes away, respectively.
The beautiful city of Bordeaux, with its riverside promenade and many shops and cafes, as well as the magnificent coastal towns in the estuary around the Arcachon Bay, are all under two hours away.
Closer to home is the freshwater swimming lake at La Jemaye, with its own sandy beach, canoeing, restaurants and woodland walks. On the way to the picturesque medieval market town of Sarlat, you pass the prehistoric human settlement sites of Les Eyzies and Rouffignac.
The Dordogne boasts 1001 chateaux, some of which are little more than 1 hour’s drive away, through beautiful countryside. They include Beynac, Castelnaud, Milande, Hautefort and the stunning gardens at Marqueyssac.