Eymet

Eymet is a town in Dordogne, just 24 kilometres south of Bergerac.

Understand

Eymet is a bastide town, founded in the Dropt valley in 1270 and began life as an agricultural and trading centre. The town's attraction are 15th and 16th-century houses with its turrets and mullioned windows.

Eymet has been an English stronghold since the 13th century. Today the town still stands as a community for British expatriates, who at 25% of the town's population constitute one of the larger expatriate communities in 'Dordogneshire'.

Get in

The nearest airport to Eymet is Bergerac, at 24km away; Bergerac offers regular flights to primarily a number of UK cities, and less regular flights to Italy, Portugal the Netherlands and Albania. Further afield is Bordeaux airport, 127km away, which links the region with many European destinations, as well as Canada and Northern Africa.

Eymet is not particularly well-served by public transport and has no train station, but there is a bus, the 332 to/from Bergerac, which runs every 2-3 hours. A single journey costs €2.30, and a double €4.10. Reservations can be made by phone at 0970 870 870.

Get around

As is the case with all the region's Bastide towns, the centre is wholly pedestrianised and small enough to be traversed in an afternoon. The roads are well-kept; only a small section of rough cobblestone near the main square might prove difficult for those with mobility issues. The town's car park tends to sprawl out onto the roads: if arriving on market days, arrive early.

See

• 1 Château d'Eymet (Castle of Eymet), 16 Avenue de la Bastide. A 13th-century castle with a keep and defensive walls.  

Do

The festival devoted to white wine and oysters takes place in the town square on August 15th.

• 1 Lac de l'Escourou. A large reservoir just outside of Eymet with a great loop for hiking, of approximately 6km - mostly flat, dry in the summer. Fishing licences offered. Large car park next to the lake at the start of the trail. (updated Nov 2024)

Buy

There is a lively market that is held in the town square of Eymet every Thursday morning.

Eymet le Livre is a well-stocked, mostly English-language bookshop run by a British expat. Offers a selection of rare books and is particularly good for English poetry.

Eat

• 1 Roses Salon de Thé, 9 Quai de la Navigation, ☏ +33 5 53 22 08 36. Cafe in the style of an English tearoom. Offers the standard fare of cake and coffee, as well as hot food: soup, brunch and full English breakfasts. (updated Nov 2024)

Drink

Most of the cafe-bars offer a similar selection of beer and local wine, with the exception of Dan Martin's Café Américain, which offers additional cocktails. Look out for Domaine de Sauban, an organic wine producer just around the corner from Eymet.

Sleep

• 1 Le Portanel Bed and Breakfast, ☏ +33 (0) 783646066FORMAT, bookings@leportanel.com. Small bed and breakfast with swimming pool, terrace and gardens (updated Nov 2024)

Connect

Eymet is covered by 5G.

Go next

• Bergerac