Naussannes: Church, Nature and Trails

Naussannes brings together church history, natural areas and described trails. For travel planning, the details vary: for the church, the focus is on its construction date and art ensemble; for the natural areas, on their type and share of the land; and for the trails, on their length, recommended use or signage.

Church History and Castle Traces

The Église Saint-Jean-Baptiste in Naussannes was built in the 12th century and served as the chapel of a former Hospitaller commandery. The ensemble includes the high altar, steps, a tabernacle with wings and an exhibition crown, the predella, and four statuettes. The ensemble dates from the 17th century and is classified as a protected object. The church therefore reflects distinct aspects of its history: its construction, its former ecclesiastical function and its later furnishings. In terms of chronology, the furnishings date from considerably later than the church itself. Several centuries separate the 12th century, when the church was built, from the 17th century, when the ensemble was created. The two dates therefore refer to different objects: one describes the church, the other its protected furnishings.

In the hamlet of Montgueyral, south of the town centre, are the ruins of a feudal castle. They are another historic landmark outside the town centre.

Protected Areas and Landscape Features

Coteau Calcaire De Naussanes is a type 1 ZNIEFF area and covers 1.9 percent of the municipality. Plateau cerealier d'issigeac is a type 2 ZNIEFF area, accounting for 6.3 percent. In addition, the transition zone of the Bassin de la Dordogne Biosphere Reserve covers about 78 percent of the municipal area. These figures refer to different categories and scales: two names denote different ZNIEFF types, while the third refers to a biosphere reserve’s transition zone. The difference in land coverage is also substantial: the transition zone’s approximately 78 percent exceeds the shares of both ZNIEFF areas. This distinguishes a smaller share of natural land from a zone that covers a large part of the municipality.

Trails and Events

The Boucle du Rocal is a 12.0 km circular route. The Chemin d'Avitus is recommended for mountain biking. The Chemin d'Amadour passes through the village of Naussannes and is signposted as far as Saint-Avit-Sénieur. The three route descriptions offer different points of reference: a distance and circular format, a mountain-biking recommendation, and a route through the village with signs pointing to Saint-Avit-Sénieur. If you plan a route, check the current route details before setting out, as route specifications may be revised.

A 2025 event description calls the Corrida de Naussannes a road race organised annually by the youth basketball club of Naussannais. If this event fits your trip, check the date for the year you plan to attend.

Discover more destinations: Cause-De-Clérans, Fouleix, Lunas, Veyrignac, Orliac, Marnac, Javerlhac-Et-La-Chapelle-Saint-Robert, Saint-Vincent-De-Connezac

For the broader travel overview: Dordogne.