Activities
 
 

Golf    

Château des Vigiers is probably the best golf course in the area and is about five kilometres from Monestier.

Tee times can be reserved in advance using their web site or by calling +33 (0) 5 53 61 50 00. Green fees range from €50 to €68 at present.

There are other golf courses in the Dordogne, but none so convenient.

Canoeing

There is a large choice of canoeing trips possible, but mainly on the river east of Bergerac. A search of web sites will give you the opportunity to select the most suitable for your own experience and needs.

Boat trips


These can be taken from the quay side in Bergerac and give you a new perspective on the town and its riverside surroundings.

History and French culture
Bastides are fortified towns built in mediaeval France starting around 1229, the date of the first recorded bastide. All bastides have a grid layout and a central market square with a covered weighing and measuring area.

Bastides began to appear as feudalism began to wane in mediaeval France, and were an attempt by landowners to generate revenues from taxes on trade rather than tithes (taxes on production). Ease of tax collection is the reason for the grid layout (property taxes) and the covered weighing and measuring area in the marketplace.

Eymet, about fourteen kilometres from Monestier, is a fine example of a bastide town and could form the basis for an interesting set of visits to some of the bastide towns in the Dordogne. Ste. Foy-la-Grande is also a bastide town.

Tennis


There are tennis courts in Saussignac, Gardonne and Pomport. The picture above shows the tennis courts at Pomport Lake.


Museums
Bergerac has a number of museums which are worth a visit. Bergerac’s museums are of a high standard, providing fascinating information about the area and its past. Especially recommended is the Museum of Tobacco, which displays a unique collection of items related to tobacco smoking and the industry.

Also worthwhile is the Wine and Shipping Museum, following Bergerac’s history of wine making and river-trading.

There is also the Costi Museum, created when Constantin -"Costi" – Papachristpoulos decided to donate his complete works from 1929 to 1973 to the town of Bergerac.

The local council met in March 2000 and agreed to create the Costi Museum in the two cellars of the St. Jacques Presbytery. It can be found at:-

Musée COSTI
Presbytère Saint Jacques
Place de la Petite Mission - 24100 BERGERAC
Tél : 05.53.63.04.13

Games Room

In the barn, adjacent to the main house, there is a room which is used to store pool equipment and patio furniture. There is a table tennis table and a set of bats for the use of guests, along with a set of boules and a badminton set for use in the garden..

In addition there are two bicycles which are available for rent.

Swimming

Lac Castel Gaillard at St. Sernin, above, about 10 km south-west of Monestier, provides an alternative to the seaside, with a fresh water lake for bathing and beach-style games.

General Information
In the main house, there is a box of informative leaflets, with particular emphasis on ideas for children’s entertainment.

More information can be obtained from the helpful Tourist Office in Bergerac their websites are

www.bergerac-tourisme.com/ or www.pays-de-bergerac.com/.