Rocky ridge, heathland and birdlife

The Puy des Ages gives Saint-Cyr-les-Champagnes a distinctive natural landmark. The rocky ridge is 1.5 kilometres long, reaches an elevation of 413 metres and is characterised by quartzite. It is one of the Dordogne’s two Espaces Naturels Sensibles and extends across Saint-Cyr-les-Champagnes and Saint-Mesmin. The natural area therefore spans more than one municipality and extends beyond the boundaries of Saint-Cyr-les-Champagnes.

The landscape also includes acidic heathland with heather, bilberries, purple moor grass and dwarf gorse. The wildlife is unobtrusive and includes skylarks, meadow pipits, Montagu’s harriers and migrating wood pigeons. Alongside its geological profile, the Puy thus offers a variety of heathland plants and bird species. A path of white quartz leads through the heath towards the valley, adding a practical way to explore the surroundings on foot.

Routes for different types of plans

Lo Sendero Dau Verdier is a 5.5-kilometre circular route that starts in Saint-Cyr-les-Champagnes. It can be used on horseback, on foot, for trail running and by mountain bike. These options make it easier to choose how to travel the route. Usage conditions may vary by season, so check the latest conditions before making plans.

When planning your outing, it is important to distinguish between two different lengths: 1.5 kilometres refers to the rocky ridge at the Puy des Ages, while 5.5 kilometres is the length of the Lo Sendero Dau Verdier circular route. These figures do not describe the length of a single shared path. To gauge the scope of an outing, you can refer to the length of the circular route without confusing it with the extent of the ridge.

Facilities and picnic spots

At the Puy des Ages, there is a nearby car park, a water point, toilets and picnic tables. The facilities are maintained locally; check their condition before your visit. Picnic tables are also available in Saint-Cyr-les-Champagnes’ recreational areas, where they are shaded by large trees. When planning your visit, you can distinguish between the facilities at the Puy and the shaded picnic spots in the municipality’s recreational areas.

Church and chapel

The Church of Saint-Cyr-et-Sainte-Juliette brings together building phases from the 11th, 12th and 17th centuries. Its architecture includes a short nave, a vaulted forechoir, later-added chapels that form a transept, and an elongated choir. These elements give the church a varied ground plan: the nave forms the main part of the church interior, with the forechoir and choir adjoining it. Here, the transept is formed by the chapels added later. For travellers interested in church architecture, both the different building phases and the spatial layout are aspects of the site to explore.

The Notre-Dame de Partout chapel contains votive offerings made of paper, slate and tree bark. These different materials reflect the chapel’s religious significance to the local area. Every year on the first Sunday in September, a mass is celebrated there, followed by a pilgrimage. If your stay coincides with this date, check the arrangements for this year in advance.

Discover more destinations: Bouniagues, Tursac, La Roche-Chalais, Sainte-Trie, Cénac-Et-Saint-Julien, Sadillac, Saint-Front-d'Alemps, Singleyrac.

For the broader travel overview: Dordogne.