Font du But circular route

From Le Bugue, take the D710 towards Journiac and Périgueux. After 3 km, turn left onto the road leading to Saint-Avit-de-Valard. Drive on to the town hall car park.

(S/E) With your back to the town hall and its starting point sign, take the road to the campsite directly opposite you, heading towards Sainte-Alvère. Walk past Le Rucher du Marandou (a producer of 100% Périgord honey), then take the path on the left at the edge of the woods and continue along it for about 500 m, until you emerge from the woods.

(1) Enjoy the view of the hamlet of La Verrerie (Sainte-Alvère) and take the path on your right at the signpost, following the direction for “circular route of Font du But”. Continue along the path until you reach the tarmac road.

(2) Cross the tarmac road and take the forest track opposite until you reach another small tarmac road, which you’ll take to the left. Carry on until you reach the crossroads.

(3) At the junction, carry straight on along the Route des Fieux, towards “Les Fieux/La Poujelie”. On your left, you can see some of the accommodation and the lake at the village’s largest campsite. The road then leads into the forest.

(4) As you emerge from the woods, take the grassy path on the right which runs alongside the vegetation, then follow the path on the right, between the trees.

(5) At the end of the second field, turn onto the path on the right; this will become a tarmac road (Impasse de la Clavelie). Carry on straight ahead until you reach the T-junction.

(6) Carry on to the right along the road, pass the first junction with the Route des Douglas – keep this on your left – and continue whilst following the wooden sign towards “circular route of Font du But”. Pass the hamlet of La Geneste and carry on along the road until you come out of the bend.

(7) At the edge of the woodland, take the path on the left that leads off between the trees. Carry on to the end of the path, where you’ll find a farm called “La Ferme du Lac Noir” ( a duck farm specialising in foie gras).

(8) When you reach the tarmac section, turn left to walk past the farm buildings (shop + free tours in summer); the surface of the path changes, with the tarmac giving way to limestone. You’ll come to another tarmac section; keep to the left and continue along this road, passing a cul-de-sac and two house entrances on your right. There are lovely views of the village and its church on the right.

(9) After the second house entrance, at the end of the hedge, leave the road and take the path straight ahead which runs alongside the woodland. You’ll enter the forest and then come out again; the path will make a wide bend to the right before entering the woodland once more and coming out onto a tarmac road.

(10) Turn right onto the tarmac road leading back up to the village. Just past the village entrance sign, a path on the right leads to the Fontaine de Vivier and a restored old communal washhouse. Continue along the tarmac road to return to the town hall car park ( S/E).

(S/E) Village and Church of Saint-Avit-de-Vialard
A route alternating between woods and meadows.

between (10) and (S/E): The recently restored complex comprising the fountain and communal washhouse was built in 1885. The fountain remained the village’s main water source for a long time. Beneath the reservoir’s inspection hatch, several openings can be seen, one of which still reveals its decoration: a mascaron with a human head and a wide-open mouth.