Discover Tocane-Saint-Apre

Tocane-Saint-Apre combines historic buildings with opportunities to explore the surrounding area on foot or by bike. Churches, castles and manor houses offer different perspectives on architectural history; there is also a museum, a geocaching route and several trails with varying distances and themes. You can tailor your stay to suit whether you are primarily interested in architecture or want to include some exercise in your trip.

Churches, Chapels and Architectural History

The Église Notre-Dame de la Nativité is a Neo-Gothic Romanesque church dating from the 19th century. Its floor plan is in the shape of a Latin cross. It consists of a nave with two bays and a transept with a barrel-vaulted choir; a semicircular apse completes the structure. Its architectural features give the church a distinctive profile and make it a point of interest for anyone interested in religious buildings.

The Château de Beauséjour is a fortified house dating from the 15th or 16th century. A chapel was added to the estate in 1607. The Chapelle Notre-Dame de Perdux offers another connection to religious history: it was built on the banks of the Dronne in 1890, after a pilgrimage dedicated to Notre-Dame de l’Assomption was revived. Together, these buildings illustrate different aspects of local history—from fortified architecture to pilgrimage traditions.

Castles, Manor Houses and Museum

The Château de Fayolle was built in 1766 on the foundations of a medieval building. Its English gardens, designed by the Bülher brothers, offer a one-hour walk. During tours of the rooms, the Fayolle family’s butler guides visitors through the château. The château is listed as a historic monument (ISMH) and was opened to the public after it was taken over in 2024. If you are planning a tour, check current visiting arrangements in advance.

The Manoir de Lavalade was first mentioned in 1323 and dates from the 16th and 18th centuries. Local history also includes mills: the Moulin de Salles in Tocane-Saint-Apre is a grain and oil mill, specifically a walnut oil mill. The Musée du costume et de l’artisanat au 19eme siècle displays traditional clothing, bonnets and shawls. Its collection includes textiles made from hemp, silk, cashmere, wool and cotton, as well as lace and handmade embroidery.

Explore on Foot or by Bike

The Terra Aventura route: Balade en Tocane is a 4 km family-friendly walking route and geocaching experience. It introduces visitors to local history and monuments and features the Dronne as a highlight. It differs in length and format from the Boucle de Tocane Saint-Apre – Les Tours de Vernode: this easy, 11.8 km circular route starts in Tocane-Saint-Apre and is suitable for hikers and mountain bikers. Its main themes are history and nature.

The easy Circuit au Fil de la Dronne also starts in Tocane-Saint-Apre and is suitable for trekking and road bikes. The route is 29.1 km long, includes 920 metres of elevation gain and has a stated duration of two hours. It climbs the slopes, then descends into the valley and follows the Dronne and its mills. The routes therefore differ in both mode of travel and length and theme: geocaching and monuments, history and nature, or a cycling route featuring mills along the river.

Discover more destinations: Grand-Brassac, Champagne-Et-Fontaine, Saint-Avit-De-Vialard, Tursac, Grives, La Boissière-D'ans, Marsac-Sur-L'isle, Douville.

For the full travel guide: Dordogne.