Périgueux is remedy for the winter blahs

Cleverly decorated for the holidays with vintage lampshades,
this narrow street is located in Périgueux’s Renaissance neighborhood.

Remember way back to the last day of 2017? It was sunny and warm … a most welcome respite from this gray rainy winter. Eager to take a break from hibernation, we head to Périgueux in the heart of the Dordogne.

Built in the 1st or 2nd century, the Tour de Vésone in Périgueux
is dedicated to Vesunna, the the tutelary goddess of Pétrocores.

Our first stop is Vesunna, the incredible Gallo-Roman museum, which I have written about here. Several relics of ancient times are scattered throughout the city including the Tour de Vésone and remnants of the amphitheater.

The site of Périgueux’s ancient Roman amphitheater is now a park,
le Jardin des Arenes.

We’ve caught the final week of this year’s Fête Noël that has assembled in the city center. After checking out the vendor booths and watching some ice skating, we eat lunch standing up at one of the tall tables. A friendly couple who has arrived on battery-powered bikes patiently answers our questions about their velos — a “big-boy toy” my husband covets.

Périgueux’s Fête Noël, 2017 includes a market, ice skating and spectacles.

An ice skating rink in the center of Périgueux is a popular attraction
during the city’s Fête Noël.

The tourism office is closed so I rely on the map in my Eyewitness guidebook to identify landmarks as we explore the Renaissance neighborhood. My map doesn’t mesh with reality, however, so we meander through the narrow pedestrianised streets and allow ourselves to get a little lost.

A small market is held each day in Place de Coderc in Périgueux.

This fish fountain is located on the exterior wall of the
covered market in Périgueux’s Place du Coderc.

Maison du Pâtissier, also called Maison Tenant, on
Place Saint Louis is a notable example of Renaissance architecture.

Périgueux has a long rich history and the city does a great job showcasing it. The city is situated on the site of the Roman city of Civitas Petrocorium, or Vesunna, which was built in the first centuries AD. Over the centuries, another city rose above Vesunna.

The ruins of Château Barrière sit upon the ancient Roman
wall in Périgueux.

The “new settlement” of Périgueux dates to the 13th century, and today vestiges of this era remain. Blocks of medieval structures have been preserved as a thriving city center where shops, cafés and restaurants make this quarter attractive to locals and tourists.

Cathédrale Saint-Front in Périgueux has five domes and a bell tower.
Its bells are famous throughout Europe, according to the church’s guide.

The most recognizable feature of Périgueux’s skyline is Cathédrale Saint-Front. Set into a hillside, the church contains a large network of crypts and half-buried chapels. Above, five domes and a bell tower rise toward the sky. The interior is somewhat austere but warm. At the time of our visit the church is still bedecked for Noël, and the nativity scene is accessorized with children’s art.

The Stations of the Cross inside Cathédrale Saint-Front
in Périgueux were painted by Jacques-Emile Lafon,
a native of the Périgord.

A trickle of water drips from the lion fountain in Périgueux’s
Jardin du Thouin.

Although we were considering going to the Musée d’Art et d’Archéologie, the weather is too nice to spend the afternoon indoors, so we promise ourselves we’ll come back soon to visit both that museum and the Musée Militaire. Instead, we take a leisurely walk along the river and stop to admire the Quayside Houses and an odd little building sitting on stone pillars: Eschif de Creyssac. The structure originally was a lookout post.

Maison des Consuls (or Mainson Cayla) is one of the Renaissance houses
along the quay in Périgueux.

Originally a lookout post, Eschif de Creyssac in Périgueux
was constructed in 1347 of wood and wattle-daub.

An ancient structure overlooks the Isle River in Périgueux.

Périgueux sits along the Isle River, a tributary of the Dordogne.

I sometimes wish I live closer to a larger city, as our little village is so quiet, especially this time of year. But now that I’ve taken a closer look at Périgueux, I’m confident we’ll be frequent visitors.

A cannon in Jardin du Touin in Périgord is aimed
across the Isle River.