Bergerac, Dordogne


Bergerac is a commune and a sub-prefecture of the Dordogne department in southwestern France. Bergerac is designated as a 'City of Art and History' by the Ministry of Culture. It is the secondmost populated prefecture in the Dordogne, after Périgueux.

Population

Climate

Economy

The region is primarily known for wine and tobacco. It has 12 recognized wine AOCs :
Bergerac is home to a population of British people who frequently identify as 'expats' rather than immigrants. This trend is not unique to Bergerac and is evident throughout the Dordogne. In part, this is driven by house prices which are very affordable when compared with either the French or British national averages. The increasing British presence has led to some integration initiatives such as the non-profit Université du Temps Libre which offers French language classes and a programme of cultural activities.

Tourism

The town has a growing tourism industry. The region's association with wines is also a key motivating factor for much tourism with wine tours, chateau visits and a wine house by the river which features an exhibition on the history of wine growing. Nearby sites for tourists include the Arboretum de Podestat, Château de Monbazillac, the town museum, statue museum, and tobacco museum. The church of Notre Dame is located in the town centre. The Dordogne river is also a significant tourist attraction for river boat tours and kayak rental.

Cyrano de Bergerac

The town contains two statues of Cyrano de Bergerac, subject of a famous play of the same name by Edmond Rostand. An old stone statue stands on Place de la Myrpe, facing Place du Docteur Cayla. A newer statue, painted in colour and standing on a stainless steel pedestal, has been erected on Place Pelissiere.

Transport

Bergerac is served by the Bergerac-Roumanière airport, which has internal flights, and routes to UK airports including Southampton, Bristol, Manchester, East Midlands, Luton, Edinburgh, Exeter, Liverpool, Birmingham, Leeds-Bradford and London Stansted Airport. Transavia also flies to Bergerac from Amsterdam.
Bergerac has an SNCF station with regular services to Bordeaux and Sarlat-la-Canéda. A weekday bus service operates between Bergerac and Périgueux, mainly serving school commuters.

Education

Bergerac is located within the Bordeaux Académie, which covers the entire Aquitaine Region. The main High School is Lycée Maine de Biran. Other high schools in the town include the private school Institution Sainte Marthe - Saint Front, Lycée Jean Capelle and Lycée Profesionelle de l'Alba

International relations

Twin towns — sister cities

Bergerac, Dordogne is twinned with: