A different, easy cave experience to see prehistoric…read more located 40 minutes walk into a large cave with very few stalactites. Easy because you ride a trai.n and the guide points out what to look for with the only light coming from the train. We lucked out. We knew to arrive early because tickets are only available at the entrance. We showed up 15 minutes early and got on the 10 AM tour with a very knowledgeable guide. Amazing artwork from 15,000 years ago, worth the drive. W/C is available, and there is a small gift shop.

This is most easy cave that we have visited. The cave is deep into the mountains. However, they…read morehave electrical train to take the visitors to the attraction. The cave engraving is around 8500 BC. This cave have a lot of mammoth carving. Because this is a lime stone, it is easy to carve here. There are total of 158 mammoths carving in this cave. At the end of the cave, it is the painting of other prehistoric animals. Bison, horses, rhino and more. The entire tour take 1 hours. They don't have preordered tickets. It is first come first serve. Each train take about 40 people. The wait time to train is roughly 1.5 hour. So plan 3 hours visit. The cave not allows photos, animal in the cave or touch the wall. Dress warm since the cave is a bit cold.

Extraordinaire! From the moment the owners greeted us warmly to our farewell from their son who…read moreprovided very useful suggestions for the rest of our journey, we had a marvelous stay at the Moulin. A restored former mill, the hotel was beautifully refurbished and decorated. Our room was lovely and spacious, as well as immaculate. The swimming pool provided a welcome respite in the heatwave France was experiencing. We ate breakfast and dinner at the Moulin both days of our visit. All of the food and wine were delicious and served with grace. At petit dejenear (not really petit), fresh-squeezed orange juice, plain yogurt, fresh fruit, and a selection of croissants, along with tea or coffee, were served. Dinner was marvelous. We ordered from one of the menus offered. Standouts were confit de canard and filets de bar. The fish (sea bass) was garnished with shrimp, served with saffron rice and a light lemon butter sauce. The second night one of has the veal chop smothered in fresh, local mushrooms. Before the meal we were served amuse bouche and a sorbet with champagne between courses. For dessert, one of us indulged on the tarte aux pommes with vanilla ice cream (wonderful) and the other on homemade ananas (pineapple) sorbet. The wine selection is excellent and wine by the glass as well as half-bottles are available. We highly recommend Moulin de Vigonac.

This family-run hotel is charming, set in beautiful grounds in a delightful riverside location. The…read morefamily is welcoming, food is fantastic, altogether a little taste of paradise

Special event review only:…read more I was here this past weekend for a rehearsal dinner and was blown away by the level of care that went into the presentation and details in the meal. The staff was absolutely lovely, everyone was helpful and made sure we were well taken care of. The venue is beautiful and the main dinning area is air conditioned. The pool area and where they had set up appetizers was gorgeous and well maintained. Also the food was amazing! The chef started prep once everyone was seated so everything coming out of the kitchen was freshly made and you could tell. It was magnifique! There is also a lovely view of the beautiful town of Aubeterre-sur-Dronne (see my sunset pic). Again, I did not stay at this hotel, but several guests of the wedding party did and they had nothing but pleasant things to say.

The worst hotel experience I have ever had. Apparently the restaurant is all that, but it is closed…read moreon Mondays, which fact they don't mention when you book. The two rooms we had were unkempt, unloved and uncomfortable. The beds were appalling, none of us could sleep. The crisp linen was the only nice thing in the room. Basically my advice is to stay elsewhere in the village or even in another village.

Our stay in the Old Bakery was the highlight of our holiday. Lou is a warm and laid back host who…read moregenuinely wants his guests to feel at home. Breakfast was delicious with a selection of home made jams to try as well as freshly squeezed orange juice, crispy bacon and roasted home grown tomatoes. The Old Bakery has been beautifully restored with the same care and attention to detail Lou takes in looking after his guests - the pictures do not do it justice. A true home from home.

I enjoyed my tour of this cave. We needed to book the tour in advance because there are limited…read morenumbers of spots on the hourly tours. Something to keep in mind is that even though the tour is limited in the size you can miss some of the highlights of the tour if you lag towards the back of the group. The tour of the cave is less than an hour. It is nice and cool inside which was an excellent break on the warm summer day I was there. The tour guide spoke mostly in French so I missed a some of the highlights. Towards the end of the tour, there is prehistoric "artwork" to view. The artwork has been both preserved and obscured to some degree by calcification in the cave. It was still extremely interesting to see "caveman" paintings from so long ago though. Overall, I recommend the tour.

Close to Brantôme in Perigord Vert, you will find the Grotte de Villars, a natural prehistoric…read morecave. An underground river has hollowed out huge caves joined by galleries. You can admire all types of concretions throughout the visit, from the impressive calcite flows to the finest stalactites, translucent draperies, rimstone pools and countless stalagmites. The prehistoric paintings, dating back 18,000 years and slightly covered with calcite, will allow you to appreciate the art of our ancestors. The scenes depicting a Bison and a Sorcerer are some of the few human representations of prehistoric art. Significant enhancements have been made to the site, such as a sound and light system, non-slip paths and commentaries by microphone (in French & English). Near the reception area, you will discover a learning area featuring a video film, a representation of a stalagmite floor core sample showing the evolution of climate over the last 100 centuries and an exhibit of collected archeological items discovered in the cave. Entrance fee is 7 Euro for adults and 4.5 Euro for under 12's but is well worth the fee. You can also incorporate a visit to the nearby Chateau de Puyguillem during your time in the area.

The relais is in a small settlement of about 20 houses, about 10 minutes from the smallish village…read moreof St Astiers. As there are very few rooms, it is very quiet. The living room is pleasant, with a large chimney and comfortable chairs. The dining room is in the same room. There are only six tables or so, once again, it will stay quiet. Benoit, the host and chef, makes excellent food, original and well presented, using fresh local ingredients. The courtyard, surrounded by old buildings, is a haven of peace. We were there for a few days with two kids (3 and 1). The host took care of the extra beds, made some special dishes for the 3-yr old without us asking (e.g. macaroni with a ponzu-based sauce). Owing to the small size of the place and to the personality of the host, you get very well taken care of. You can also have dinner there without booking a room. Worth it too.

Walking in Brantome we passed by this hotel and saw a group having snacks and cocktails in the back…read moreand couldn't resist stopping on a beautiful Wednesday (May -so right before peak period) around 6. Just another table besides us was occupied. Some ordered Champagne and some ordered the Champagne Cocktail-(Cognac, a Cointreau and bitters) first time trying this one and it was delicious! Views of the Dronne River, beautiful day and delicious drinks-what more could we ask for? Dinner menu looked enticing but we had already made reservations at another spot in town. Service was okay-took some time for our drinks to be ordered. Great spot for Cocktails and a view!

Amazing hotel. Ran by a very nice, friendly family. Fantastic beds, great night sleep. Beautiful…read moresurroundings. Very close to the town of Brantome

This B&B run by Sue and Dave Scales is a very comfortable, clean and well located property for some…read moregreat sightseeing in the area. They have two bedrooms with newly updated queen size beds that are really comfortable, and if you have kids - there are two twin beds in each room ask well. For those on a budget, there is a lounge area which includes a fridge, microwave/convection/grill, kettle, coffee maker & Krug machine. They also have all the utensils needed as well. Out the back of the lounge is a nice sunny area with a table and chairs for you to enjoy your meals. And if you're there during the warmer weather, they have a lovely in-ground pool in the back yard beyond the garden. A very pleasant way to unwind after a great day of taking in all the areas' attractions. They are close to St. Jean-de-Cole, Brantome, Bourdeilles, Château Puyguillem, Abbyey de Bouchard, and they are within an hours drive of the cave church E'glise St Jean de Aubeterre Sur Dronne.