BRANTÔME, 27km north of Périgueux on the Angoulême road and beloved of British tourists, sits in a bend of the River Dronne, whose still, water-lilied surface mirrors the limes and weeping willows of the riverside gardens. On the north bank of the river are the church and convent buildings of the ancienne abbaye that for centuries has been Brantôme's focus. Its stone facades, now masking the secular offices of the Hôtel de Ville, have that pallor and blank stare so characteristic of the self-denying institutional life – not that self-denial was a virtue associated with this monastery's most notorious abbot, Pierre de Bourdeilles, the sixteenth-century author of scurrilous tales of life at the royal court. It's worth taking a look inside the église abbatiale (abbey church) for the palm-frond vaulting of the chapterhouse and the font made from a carved and grounded pillar capital. Also of architectural interest is a fine stone staircase at the east end of the Hôtel de Ville, but Brantôme's best architectural feature is the Limousin-style Romanesque belfry standing behind the church against the wooded and cave-riddled scarp that forms the backdrop to the village.Families with children may appreciate the Musée de Rêve et Miniatures in rue Puyjoli (April–June & Sept to mid-Nov daily except Fri 2–5/6pm; July & Aug daily 11am–6pm; €5.80), while a walk through the nearby gardens and along the pleasant balustraded riverbanks is a must. There are also boat trips on the river in summer (May–Sept; €5.50). Three buses a week (Mon, Fri & Sun) connect Brantôme with the TGV in Angoulême. The tourist office (Feb, March & Nov–Dec daily except Tues 10am–noon & 2–5pm; April–June & Sept daily except Tues 10am–12.30pm & 2–6pm; July & Aug daily 10am–7pm; closed Jan; tel 05.53.05.80.52) is next to the abbey church. You can rent canoes and bikes from Brantôme Canoë (tel 05.53.05.77.24), beside the river just over the bridge as you head east to Thiviers. The best cheap accommodation and food is to be had at the Hôtel Versaveau, 8 place de Gaulle, at the north end of town (tel 05.53.05.71.42; €30–40; restaurant from €10; closed three weeks in Nov & Dec/Jan), though prettier and more comfortable rooms are available at Hôtel Chabrol across the river (tel 05.53.05.70.15, fax 05.53.05.71.85; €40–55; closed Feb & mid-Nov to mid-Dec), whose restaurant, Les Frères Charbonnel, is in the gourmet class, with its cheapest menu at €25.50 (closed Sun eve & Mon Oct–June). If you're feeling rich, you could treat yourself to a stay or a meal (€38 upwards) at the beautiful Moulin de l'Abbaye hotel by the tourist office (tel 05.53.05.80.22, [email protected]; over €150; closed Nov–April; restaurant closed lunchtimes Mon–Fri). Under the same management, Au Fil de l'Eau, on quai Bertin, with tables down by the river, offers lighter meals at more affordable prices (closed Nov–April; from €20). Campers should head for the well-run municipal campsite north of Brantôme on the D78 Thiviers road (tel 05.53.05.75.24; closed Oct–April). Alternate spellings:: France, Brantôme, Brantôme, Brantome
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