NEARBY
Chateau Raysse is situated in a lush countryside of wooded hills and hidden valleys, vineyards, walnut groves and orchards, fields of maize and sunflowers, farms producing foie gras, towering chateaux and ancient villages and towns, which scatter a landscape steeped in history.

There is a quality of life here, old values still exist together with the benefits of modern living and the people are open and welcoming. Almost everywhere you go are restaurants ranging from family run country ones to gastronomic, all at reasonable prices.

CAZOULES
Only 300m away, Cazoules has a sleepy, bar restaurant and a renowned boulangerie.

SOUILLAC
A five minute drive away, Souillac has lots of charming shops, an enclave of old streets, the byzantine-domed abbey church of Ste Marie with exquisite carvings and a remarkable museum containing a large collection of automated dolls! It hums to an International Jazz Festival in mid-July

SARLAT
Sarlat's Saturday morning market is famous, full of chatter and colour, the stalls spreading into the narrow streets around the market square. The town is famed for its medieval, Gothic and 17th century architectureand a pleasant place to wander through, particularly in the early and later part of the year when it is quiet. The square in front of the Cathedral is a good spot to stop and sit on a cafe terrace and watch the world go by and there are several restaurants to choose from. It also has an active and varied program of musical and theatrical events through the summer months.

BEYNAC
If you take the riverside road towards Beynac (20 minutes), you will see a remarkable feudal castle crowning the cliff ahead of you. The village below was originally troglodyte, built on shelves in the cliff and finishing in a group of humble houses around the skirts of the castle. There can be few places left, which still creates a feeling of stepping into a medieval past.

BERGERAC
An hour's drive will bring you to Bergerac and the vineyards that surround it. Apart from the Bergerac wines, Pécharmant just to the north of the town is a tiny area that makes an excellent red wine and Monbazillac to the south, produces a sweet, white wine that is good with foie gras and pastries or just by itself.

DOMME
Perched high above the Dordogne Valley, is Domme, a 13th century bastide village with honey coloured houses leading to the market place and a terrace overlooking the Dordogne river far below and over towards waves of hills receding into the Auvergne, as well as the famous caves of Lascaux and Eyzies and their extraordinary prehistoric cave paintings.