The Jaure circuit via Mèrebœuf

Start at Place du Tilleul, at the bottom of the car park for the Pierre Yvon Liboutet community hall.

(S/E) Go behind the Porte de la Félibrée in the Parc du Tilleul à Danser to reach the bank of the stream on the left (landmark: wooden post topped with a yellow cap). Follow the stream then turn left to reach a wooden bridge.

(1) Cross the bridge and follow the path up to the junction at the top of the hill. Turn right. Continue following the wooden arrows (tips marked in yellow) as well as the yellow markings on the trees until you reach the road.

(2) Cross Route de la Boulangerie and head towards the hamlet of Lamirand via Chemin de la Boissière. Follow the tarmac path between the houses until you have passed a wooden building.

(3) Turn left onto the grassy path and continue to a crossroads.

(4) Keep right on the wooded path, then turn left to join the next road. Cross over and continue straight ahead into the woods to reach another road known as Route des 4 Routes.

(5) Turn left, then a little further on take the path sloping off to the right: be careful, anticipate the crossing a few metres beforehand by keeping to the right of the ditch along the grassy verge at the side of the road. Follow the path, first turning left then right. Continue right onto the slightly wider path and then turn left onto the sloping path (follow the arrow) which runs alongside the garden fence of two houses. At the junction, turn left again towards Route de Saint-Firmin (D107).

(6) Cross with care and continue straight ahead towards the pond on the tarmac path between the houses (Impasse des Mérigouts) to reach the woods. Turn right onto the path and follow the main track, which takes a sharp right then left and joins a DFCI track (white path).

(7) Turn left onto the track. About 500 m further on, on the left, you will see the Bois de l’Esper (biodiversity hotspot). Continue to the next junction.

(8) Turn left onto the Chemin des Fraisiers and continue until you pass a shed on the left.

(9) Turn left onto the grassy path and head towards the edge of the woods. Continue along the edge of the trees until you reach the DFCI track.

(10) First turn left then right onto Chemin des Fraisiers towards the grassy path, then follow it (left-hand bend). At the limestone track, continue left for a few metres and turn right at the edge of the trees to reach the woodland. Follow this wooded path to Mèrebœuf. Cross the hamlet to the main crossroads.

(11) Continue straight ahead following the wooden arrow, cross the road and carry on towards La Lande. Walk down to the road and the Jaures (stream).

(12) Turn right, then head up the narrow wooded path on the left. Join the road (Impasse des Ferrandies).

(13) Head up to the right. At the crossroads, turn left and continue along the Route des Eyssards until you reach the next path.

(14) Turn left into the woods and follow this path downhill. At the bottom, turn right then take the path lined with foliage on the left. Continue to the Route de Saint-Firmin (D107).

(15) Head up the Route de Saint-Firmin to the left. Opposite the Chemin des Riverains, head down the grassy path to the right.

(1) Turn left before the wooden bridge and follow the stream to return to the starting point (S/E).

(11) Alternative route: at the crossroads, you can return to the village by following the sign for “9 km route”; in this case, turn left to follow the road.

The village of Jaure is situated in a small valley between the towns of Périgueux and Bergerac. The development of the parish in the Middle Ages is linked to a very ancient cult, the focus of a pilgrimage to the miraculous waters of the fountain dedicated to Saint Firmin, martyr and bishop of Amiens. Today, the village consists of the church, the castle, the restaurant and the community hall.
A short treasure hunt offers a fun way to explore the village (available from the book kiosk near the church, or under the Porte de la Félibrée, at the bottom of the car park, Place du Tilleul).

Fountain and Saint-Firmin Church
A miraculous fountain? The spring water that feeds it is renowned for its fertilising and soothing properties; could it cure children of their fears? Saint-Firmin Church, built in the 12th century, has been altered over time and features Romanesque and Gothic architecture. The chancel was altered in the 16th century, and the upper part of the bell tower in the 17th. Traces of paint (17th–18th centuries) can be seen on the walls (funerary inscriptions, coats of arms, etc.)

Jaure Castle
Formerly a noble knight’s stronghold, once part of the castellany of Grignols (a neighbouring village), the castle was rebuilt in the 14th century. The complex was protected by a surrounding wall. Some alterations date from the 16th and 17th centuries: dormer windows, cross-vaulted ceilings, dovecote. The main residence was rebuilt in the 19th century following a fire. The owner at the time was General Nicolaï Obroutcheff, signatory of a Franco-Russian alliance treaty.

Dancing lime tree
This three-tiered tree, planted in Jaure in 2011, is the^first of its kind in the South of France. Tradition: rope-makers used lime tree bark to make their ropes; to make their work easier, they are said to have created platforms in the tree, which were gradually taken over by the villagers for dancing.

Gate of the Félibrée
It was created by volunteers for the^98th Félibrée held in Saint-Astier in 2017: held each year in a different commune in the Dordogne, this traditional festival celebrates the Occitan language, traditional costumes and local crafts within a restricted area of the town, enclosed by several gates (symbolic entrances to the town). The streets are decorated for the occasion with numerous colourful flowers.

Market hall (2021) and bread oven (2023)
Set up with the help of numerous volunteers, based on plans drawn up by Philippe de Séverac (mayor of the town and Compagnon du Devoir Charpentier).

The Bois de l’Esper (biodiversity island created in 2023–2024)
To be seen along the way beside the DFCI track: a refuge for wildlife on a former clear-cut site (6 ha) for a forest ecosystem protected for 99 years (natural regeneration, planting of around twenty different species: 2,945 trees, educational arboretum, footpath).