Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère walks

A lovely walk around the village of Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère, listed as one of the “Most Beautiful Villages in France”, in the heart of the Vallée de l’Homme. A lovely walk to discover the landscapes of the Périgord Noir.

This easy circular offers the chance to discover St-Léon-sur-Vézère, a village in the Dordogne nestled in a bend of the Vézère river. This village is listed as one of the "Most Beautiful Villages in France" and is well worth stopping off to stroll through its narrow streets and discover its magnificent12th-century Romanesque church and numerous craft shops.

In the footsteps of the bargemen, this walk follows the old towpath largely along the banks of the Vézère. Throughout the walk, you’ll journey through time: from prehistory right up to the Industrial Revolution. The imposing cliff and the ancient troglodytic fort of La Roque Saint-Christophe are a perfect example of the succession of different civilisations over the centuries.A long route (14.5 km) and a short route (4.6 km) are available.

Halfway between Lascaux and Les Eyzies, Saint-Léon lies at the heart of the Vallée de l’Homme. Inhabited since prehistoric times, as evidenced by the remains of dwellings at the Conquil site, Saint-Léon owes its name to one of the first bishops of Périgueux. Situated near a Roman road, this village was, until the advent of the railway, primarily a thriving port on the Vézère, so much so that during the Revolution it was known as Port-Léon. From the cemetery chapel at the eastern entrance to the village, the road leads past Clérans Castle and the Manoir de la Salle to a 12th-century Romanesque church with a slate roof, a key venue for the Périgord Noir Music Festival.

Parcours à la rencontre du temps. À partir du village historique de Sergeac, cheminement dans les collines par un sentier bordé de vestiges de la vie d’autrefois et d’un site préhistorique ouvert au public, aboutissant sur la vue panoramique de la vallée.

‘Nature’ route. Starting from the hamlet of ‘La Voulperie’ in Sergeac, this circular route links the municipalities ofValojoulx, through woodland with panoramic views of the surrounding area from the ridges.

On the northern slope of the Vézère, this route offers panoramic views of the Vézère valley and the Sarladais region. Several springs and wash houses line this route, which also boasts abundant and diverse flora.

A walk around the “Thot Espace Cro-Magnon”. You’ll leave the village of Thonac and quickly climb 70 metres over a distance of 500 metres. The rest of the route is much less challenging.You’ll make your way through the countryside, passing two viewpoints and two hamlets. You’ll pass close to the “Thot Espace Cro-Magnon”.

A great day's walk, with options to visit the village of Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère (allow an extra hour). Several places to picnic.

This hike takes you up to a higher elevation with a beautiful view of the Vézère River, and also allows you to discover two sites: - La Roque Saint-Christophe, troglodyte dwellings in a limestone cliff one kilometre long and sixty metres high, - and the village of Saint-Léon-sur-Vézère, listed as one of the Most Beautiful Villages in France.

A walk through ever-changing scenery. The Posadou circular route, accessible all year round, will delight you with its diverse landscape and varied terrain. You’ll be able to admire, in particular, old buildings and century-old mills with stone roofs, as well as the erosion caused by the sea on the cliffs, now covered by a splendid forest.

Moving from sun to shade. The commune of Plazac, home to twenty-five nationalities, remains the land of the “croquants”, peasants from the South-West who rebelled in the 16th and 17th centuries. Nestled in the Périgord Noir, near the Barade Forest, it was also a centre of the Resistance. During your walks, you will come across or catch a glimpse of numerous paths and tracks known as “shortcuts” which, not so long ago, linked the farms together.

From the valley to the forest, a circular route around the Madeleine site. A circular route that follows the meandering course of the Vézère to Tursac, leaving the valley to enter the dense woods towards the plateaus before returning to the river’s wide plain.

The Tursac ‘Small Heritage Trail’. This circular walk allows you to discover aspects of the heritage of the commune of Tursac. A local association, Evasion Culturelle à Tursac, has carried out research to turn this route into a ‘Small Heritage Trail’. Throughout the walk, the signposts bear the association’s logo. Here we will highlight some of the points of interest along this Small Heritage Trail.

This hilly route takes the beautiful Chemin de la Peyrière, which offers splendid views of the valley, the village of Tursac and the Château de Marzac. It then crosses the hills to reach the narrow Beune Valley.

Starting from Tursac, this circular route winds its way through woodland and open countryside, offering beautiful views of the Vézère gorge. The route also offers a panoramic view of the troglodyte village of La Madeleine, clinging to the cliff, before returning to the pleasant shade of the woods. Along the way, pretty chestnut trees punctuate the walk and enhance the peaceful charm of this typical Périgord Noir route.

Come and explore the Beune Valley along shaded paths, where you can admire the restoration of heritage features from a bygone era: shepherds’ huts, fountains and wash houses. You will also spot several mills which, unfortunately, are inaccessible as they are on private property.