Simeyrols: Church, Mining History and Walking Trails

If you are considering Simeyrols as a travel destination, you can include three distinct themes in your choices: the Romanesque church of Saint-Côme-et-Saint-Damien, a former lignite mine north of the village, and routes for outdoor activities. The local history stretches from a church documented since the 11th century to mining operations that ended in the 20th century. Depending on the route, the focus may be on connections, views, distance or possible ways of getting around.

Church and Architectural History

Saint-Côme-et-Saint-Damien is a Romanesque church documented since the 11th century. Its door dates from the 13th century; a masonry bell tower was added in the 18th century. The dates refer to different points in the building’s history: the church is documented earlier than either of the two architectural features. The term Romanesque adds an architectural classification to this chronology of the church building. Several centuries separate the church’s first documentation from the masonry bell tower.

Mining History

The former lignite mine north of Simeyrols offers a different perspective on the past. It was heavily operated from 1860 until the beginning of the 1950s. The focus here is not on the sequence of individual architectural features, but on a longer period of mining. These two distinct themes—the church’s architectural history and Simeyrols’ industrial past—complement each other when exploring local history.

Walking Trails with Different Highlights

The Boucle de Simeyrols is a walking route that connects Simeyrols with the village of Carlux and offers views along the way. The Boucle des Bernardies starts in Simeyrols and is an 8.4-kilometre circular route. It is signposted for hiking, horse riding and mountain biking. The starting point is by the information board at the picnic area on the D47. Along the route, you pass a masonry well; it also leads through woodland and gives you a sense of Simeyrols’ small-scale heritage.

The routes differ in their layout, which can help you choose: the Boucle de Simeyrols connects two places and offers views along the walk. The Boucle des Bernardies, by contrast, is a circular route with a stated distance and several signposted activities. This lets you choose according to the route you want, its format or how you plan to travel.

Simeyrols for Your Hotel Stay

If you are looking for a hotel in Simeyrols, it helps to first decide what you want to focus on: would you like to explore the church and its building phases, are you interested in the history of the former mine, or would you like to include one of the routes in your travel plans? These different themes give you several ways to choose what to include in your stay.

Discover more destinations: Sadillac, Plaisance, Saint-Jory-De-Chalais, Saint-Romain-Et-Saint-Clément, Sigoules, Badefols-D'ans, Nadaillac, Cénac-Et-Saint-Julien

View the main travel overview: Dordogne.