Things to do near La Tannerie
La Tannerie is nestled in the heart of Chalais, a small market town at the southern edge of the Charente, near to the Dordogne border. It’s a picturesque hollow within rolling countryside, very reminiscent of the Cotswolds. Chalais also has a good range of shops, including an Intermarché supermarket, all within walking distance. You’ll find a doctors, dentist and chemist as well.
There are also lots of things to do and see nearby, we’ve picked out the best for you below.
Brocantes:
The French love to recycle and hate to throw anything away! A Brocante is a cross between a car boot sale, a flea market and an antique fair.
One of the best Brocantes locally is held the first Sunday of the month at Verteillac (32kms). Upward of 100 stalls it’s very busy and well worth a visit, with plenty of bargains to be had.
www.brocabrac.fr is a great website, listing all the nearby brocantes. Simply search for area 16 (Charente) and area 24 (Dordogne) for ones nearby to La Tannerie
Restaurants in Chalais:
When staying at La Tannerie you can simply wander into the village and take your pick of restaurants. Some of our favourites are:
La Flore (Avenue de la Gare ) – A lively, friendly brasserie / bar with a large terrace – open 7 days a week. The food is reasonably priced and good quality. The Cote de Boeuf is great! They also speak English.
PMU bar (Avenue de La Gare ) – Great place for a ‘menu de jour’ at lunch time. It closes at 7pm during the week and Sundays and 8pm on Friday & Saturday. Often has live bands on a Friday evening, but you do need to reserve a table: 09 51 65 76 98
Le Relais du Chateau – based in the grounds of the chateau at Chalais it’s perfect for a special holiday celebration meal, with locals coming far and wide! They serve seasonal haut cuisine with a lovely outside terrace. Reservations are required 05 45 98 12 08
Nearby restaurants:
If you fancy going a little further and exploring the area these are some other good food spots:
Restaurant Le Poirier – Bardenac (5mins away on the Barbezieux road) – They serve lunch everyday and is typical French cuisine. Either book in advance or be there by 12:30 and expect 7 courses! There’s no menu but it’s a great French lunchtime experience. 05 45 98 14 31
La Taverne – Aubeterre – A beautiful tasty restaurant with a gorgeous terrace. Open for lunch and evenings every day in the summer. It gets busy so best to book: 05 45 98 15 53
Bistrot du Circuit-Martron (10mins away on cross country route to Montguyon) Overlooking the race track with excellent food: 05 46 04 16 96
Markets locally:
Chalais has a busy market on Monday mornings, the best time to visit is around 10am. It’s also worth remembering that you cannot drive through town on Monday morning due to the market and need to turn right when leaving La Tannerie.
Other markets we’d recommend nearby are:
Aubeterre sur Dronne – Sunday morning, at its best between June and September
Riberac – Friday morning, one of the largest markets in the Perigord. It gets busy so arrive early to park!
Jonzac – Tuesday & Friday and in high season on a Wednesday night
Montmoreau – a farmers market on the 1st and 3rd Saturday morning of the month during summer
Want to hire bikes during your stay to explore the area? We work with Bike Hire Direct and can arrange bikes and accessories for your whole party whilst your stay at La Tannerie.
Please contact us for more details.
Top places to visit nearby:
Aubeterre sur Dronne – Aubeterre has the largest monolithic church in Europe. It has also been designated one of the most beautiful villages in France. There are lots of restaurants and a very good riverside beach. You can also hire canoes and partake in horse riding
A day in Riberac & Brantome – On Friday mornings the market in Riberac is one of the largest in the Dordogne. We’d highly recommend spending Friday morning in Riberac followed by the afternoon in Brantome. Brantome, also known as the Venice of Périgord, is a stunning village with a river flowing prettily through it. There are narrow streets, pavement cafés and (when summer) lots of tourists! But definitely worth the visit.
Angouleme – The tourist office is close to Les Halles where there is a market every morning. The museum of strip cartoons is interesting and there are also a number of paper mills, some which still make paper by hand. Trips on the Charente river are also available.
Oradour sur Glane – The scene of a massacre in 1944, the town has been left as it was and is now a national memorial. An interesting site which gives an insight into the barbarity of the Second World War. Perhaps not suitable for younger children as it can be a little hard-hitting.
Cognac – Visiting the distilleries of Cognac are a must when in this region. Famous names include Remy Martin, Hennessey, Martell, Otard and Courvoisier (Jarnac). The trip to Remy Martin is particularly good with a train ride through the chais (aging stones). Guided tours in english can be booked in advance. Hennessey visit is also very popular.
St Emillion – One of the premier wine villages of Bordeaux and a world heritage listed site. A quaint hill top village with narrow, and sometimes steep lanes. The train ride through the vineyards is recommended.
Futuroscope, Poitiers – A wonderful theme park based on scientific principles of light and sound. No Mickey Mouse here! The evening light and firework show is fantastic. Suitable for all ages including adults, it’s around a 2hour drive from La Tannerie
The Dordogne Valley – Beautiful scenery in picture postcard villages such as Belves and Roque Gagaec
Caves and Grottos in Dordogne – Many famous caves including Lascaux with its world renown prehistoric cave paintings at Montignac. Many other examples of caves with stalactites and stalagmites, and caves that were used as towns, occupied until the 16th century.
Sarlat – A stunning medieval town with lots of craft and gift shops, scattered throughout its winding, narrow streets. Plenty of restaurants and beautiful when lit up at night.
Périgueux – Many museums and the attractions of a large town. Trips on the river. Many large retail parks on the outskirts.
Bordeaux – now boasts a new tram system. Use the park and ride station clearly signposted as you arrive in Bordeaux on the N89. A beautiful city to explore and wander around, particularly along the river.
La Rochelle and Rochefort – Beautiful coastal towns. La Rochelle has a great aquarium, and a fantastic old port where you can have lunch and people watch. You can also take trips to the Islands and Lighthouse of Corduan and Fort Boyard.
Jonzac – the ideal place for a family on a rainy day! Les Antilles has indoor pools with slides and waterfalls and an outdoor section – open 7 days a week 10.30 to 18.30hrs. There are also restaurants and cafés and a walkway through luxurious planting.
Martron – Circuit de Haute Saintonge. A motor sports test track for cars, cycles and go karts, plus training courses, competitions and shows. It also has a large separate kart track for public rentals.
Brantome Police Horses – A rest home for former police horses from the UK (London Met , Avon & Somerset). An afternoon visit (every Wednesday) includes a talk about the horses and their stories followed by a cream tea. Booking essential.
Canoeing /kayaking – Can be hired at two points locally, Aubeterre and Parcoul. Both are on the river Dronne and offer a choice of hire periods and routes of different lengths. Though none are considered to be challenging, they are an opportunity for a family day out on this gentle river.
Pleasure Lakes – There are plenty of lakes nearby to La Tannerie, but three in particular have been developed as family leisure facilities with pedalo hire, beaches, soft play areas and play parks, as well as restaurants and bars. Brossac is the nearest about 10 minutes, Lac Jemaye (le Grand étang de Jamaye) is situated near the village of Echourgnac, about 30 minutes away and Le Lac de Beauvallon approx. 20 minutes.
River Beaches – there are man made river beaches on the River Dronne at Aubeterre and St Aulay (15 mins) both have restaurants and snack bars
Brocantes:
The French love to recycle and hate to throw anything away! A Brocante is a cross between a car boot sale, a flea market and an antique fair.
One of the best Brocantes locally is held the first Sunday of the month at Verteillac (32kms). Upward of 100 stalls it’s very busy and well worth a visit, with plenty of bargains to be had.
www.brocabrac.fr is a great website, listing all the nearby brocantes. Simply search for area 16 (Charente) and area 24 (Dordogne) for ones nearby to La Tannerie
Restaurants in Chalais:
When staying at La Tannerie you can simply wander into the village and take your pick of restaurants. Some of our favourites are:
La Flore (Avenue de la Gare ) – A lively, friendly brasserie / bar with a large terrace – open 7 days a week. The food is reasonably priced and good quality. The Cote de Boeuf is great! They also speak English.
PMU bar (Avenue de La Gare ) – Great place for a ‘menu de jour’ at lunch time. It closes at 7pm during the week and Sundays and 8pm on Friday & Saturday. Often has live bands on a Friday evening, but you do need to reserve a table: 09 51 65 76 98
Le Relais du Chateau – based in the grounds of the chateau at Chalais it’s perfect for a special holiday celebration meal, with locals coming far and wide! They serve seasonal haut cuisine with a lovely outside terrace. Reservations are required 05 45 98 12 08
Nearby restaurants:
If you fancy going a little further and exploring the area these are some other good food spots:
Restaurant Le Poirier – Bardenac (5mins away on the Barbezieux road) – They serve lunch everyday and is typical French cuisine. Either book in advance or be there by 12:30 and expect 7 courses! There’s no menu but it’s a great French lunchtime experience. 05 45 98 14 31
La Taverne – Aubeterre – A beautiful tasty restaurant with a gorgeous terrace. Open for lunch and evenings every day in the summer. It gets busy so best to book: 05 45 98 15 53
Bistrot du Circuit-Martron (10mins away on cross country route to Montguyon) Overlooking the race track with excellent food: 05 46 04 16 96
Markets locally:
Chalais has a busy market on Monday mornings, the best time to visit is around 10am. It’s also worth remembering that you cannot drive through town on Monday morning due to the market and need to turn right when leaving La Tannerie.
Other markets we’d recommend nearby are:
Aubeterre sur Dronne – Sunday morning, at its best between June and September
Riberac – Friday morning, one of the largest markets in the Perigord. It gets busy so arrive early to park!
Jonzac – Tuesday & Friday and in high season on a Wednesday night
Montmoreau – a farmers market on the 1st and 3rd Saturday morning of the month during summer
Top places to visit nearby:
Aubeterre sur Dronne – Aubeterre has the largest monolithic church in Europe. It has also been designated one of the most beautiful villages in France. There are lots of restaurants and a very good riverside beach. You can also hire canoes and partake in horse riding
A day in Riberac & Brantome – On Friday mornings the market in Riberac is one of the largest in the Dordogne. We’d highly recommend spending Friday morning in Riberac followed by the afternoon in Brantome. Brantome, also known as the Venice of Périgord, is a stunning village with a river flowing prettily through it. There are narrow streets, pavement cafés and (when summer) lots of tourists! But definitely worth the visit.
Angouleme – The tourist office is close to Les Halles where there is a market every morning. The museum of strip cartoons is interesting and there are also a number of paper mills, some which still make paper by hand. Trips on the Charente river are also available.
Oradour sur Glane – The scene of a massacre in 1944, the town has been left as it was and is now a national memorial. An interesting site which gives an insight into the barbarity of the Second World War. Perhaps not suitable for younger children as it can be a little hard-hitting.
Cognac – Visiting the distilleries of Cognac are a must when in this region. Famous names include Remy Martin, Hennessey, Martell, Otard and Courvoisier (Jarnac). The trip to Remy Martin is particularly good with a train ride through the chais (aging stones). Guided tours in english can be booked in advance. Hennessey visit is also very popular.
St Emillion – One of the premier wine villages of Bordeaux and a world heritage listed site. A quaint hill top village with narrow, and sometimes steep lanes. The train ride through the vineyards is recommended.
Futuroscope, Poitiers – A wonderful theme park based on scientific principles of light and sound. No Mickey Mouse here! The evening light and firework show is fantastic. Suitable for all ages including adults, it’s around a 2hour drive from La Tannerie
The Dordogne Valley – Beautiful scenery in picture postcard villages such as Belves and Roque Gagaec
Caves and Grottos in Dordogne – Many famous caves including Lascaux with its world renown prehistoric cave paintings at Montignac. Many other examples of caves with stalactites and stalagmites, and caves that were used as towns, occupied until the 16th century.
Sarlat – A stunning medieval town with lots of craft and gift shops, scattered throughout its winding, narrow streets. Plenty of restaurants and beautiful when lit up at night.
Périgueux – Many museums and the attractions of a large town. Trips on the river. Many large retail parks on the outskirts.
Bordeaux – now boasts a new tram system. Use the park and ride station clearly signposted as you arrive in Bordeaux on the N89. A beautiful city to explore and wander around, particularly along the river.
La Rochelle and Rochefort – Beautiful coastal towns. La Rochelle has a great aquarium, and a fantastic old port where you can have lunch and people watch. You can also take trips to the Islands and Lighthouse of Corduan and Fort Boyard.
Jonzac – the ideal place for a family on a rainy day! Les Antilles has indoor pools with slides and waterfalls and an outdoor section – open 7 days a week 10.30 to 18.30hrs. There are also restaurants and cafés and a walkway through luxurious planting.
Martron – Circuit de Haute Saintonge. A motor sports test track for cars, cycles and go karts, plus training courses, competitions and shows. It also has a large separate kart track for public rentals.
Brantome Police Horses – A rest home for former police horses from the UK (London Met , Avon & Somerset). An afternoon visit (every Wednesday) includes a talk about the horses and their stories followed by a cream tea. Booking essential.
Canoeing /kayaking – Can be hired at two points locally, Aubeterre and Parcoul. Both are on the river Dronne and offer a choice of hire periods and routes of different lengths. Though none are considered to be challenging, they are an opportunity for a family day out on this gentle river.
Pleasure Lakes – There are plenty of lakes nearby to La Tannerie, but three in particular have been developed as family leisure facilities with pedalo hire, beaches, soft play areas and play parks, as well as restaurants and bars. Brossac is the nearest about 10 minutes, Lac Jemaye (le Grand étang de Jamaye) is situated near the village of Echourgnac, about 30 minutes away and Le Lac de Beauvallon approx. 20 minutes.
River Beaches – there are man made river beaches on the River Dronne at Aubeterre and St Aulay (15 mins) both have restaurants and snack bars
Want to hire bikes during your stay to explore the area? We work with Bike Hire Direct and can arrange bikes and accessories for your whole party whilst your stay at La Tannerie.
Please contact us for more details.