Eymet: Bastide history, markets and countryside

Eymet combines the history of a bastide with buildings along the Dropt, nature at Lac de l’Escourou and regional markets. When planning your stay, you can choose different focuses: a stroll through the historic centre, time by the lake or a visit timed to coincide with a market.

Bastide, château and bridges

The Bastide d’Eymet was founded by Alphonse de Poitiers on 28 June 1270. At Place de la Bastide, arcaded houses, a fountain and pedestrian areas shape the historic centre and invite you to stroll. Eymet’s tourist information office is also located beneath the arcades, in a building dating from the 14th and 15th centuries. If you would like to obtain specific information there, check the latest service information in advance.

The Château de la bastide has been entirely converted into a museum since 1963 and is partially listed as a French historic monument. Its surviving features include a curtain wall, a corner turret and a machicolation at the gate. The complex also includes a square keep dating from the 13th century, known as the Tour Monseigneur or Tour des Anglais. A machicolation is a projecting structure with openings in its floor; here, it forms a distinctive feature of the gate.

The bridges also represent different aspects of the area’s heritage. The surviving Pont ferroviaire d’Eymet is among the city’s historic heritage features. The Pont Médiéval du Bretou was built over the Dropt in the 13th century. Pedestrian refuges line its roadway.

Riverside paths and countryside

Lac de l’Escourou serves as a place for walking, recreation and fishing in the Pays d’Eymet; it is also a resting place for birds. On the Eymet side of the small lake, a nature trail runs for about one kilometre along the shore. The trail was established in 2015/16. There is an accessible fishing platform and an information board about the lake’s fish. If these facilities are important to your plans, check their condition on site before your visit.

The Bretou site offers a different perspective on the landscape: it is a seven-hectare landscaped park on the banks of the Dropt. The river can be crossed there via a Roman bridge. The figures refer to different things: the nature trail by the lake is about one kilometre long, while the Bretou figure refers to the park’s area of seven hectares.

Markets and a mystery game

Eymet’s Thursday market offers regional fruit, vegetables, meat and cheese, as well as goods from local and international craftspeople. If you plan your visit around the market, check the dates before travelling. Another market, the Marché des producteurs et créateurs locaux, is organised by the local association Eymet en fête for craftspeople and producers. It offers food as well as art and curiosities; the selection may vary from one edition to the next. Check the dates for this market too before you travel.

For a different way to discover the Pays d’Eymet, there is the free investigation and puzzle game «Perce le mystère de la bastide d’Eymet». The game booklet is available all year round at the tourist information office. If you would like to include the game in your plans, confirm locally in advance that the booklet is available. This lets you fit the history of the bastide, the countryside and market visits into your stay according to the themes and dates that suit you.

Discover more destinations: Calès, Serres-et-Montguyard, Montcaret, Champeaux-Et-La-Chapelle-Pommier, Saint-Mesmin, Hautefort, La Tour-Blanche, Carlucet.

For the overarching travel guide: Dordogne.