In Tamniès, landscapes, water and cultural history come together as different highlights of a stay. The village sits on a rocky spur overlooking the Grande Beune Valley. At the Étang, there is a leisure lake with a sandy beach and seasonal swimming; the Sentier d'interprétation de la Gargagnasse explores nature and cultural heritage. Other options include a moderately challenging circular hike, historic buildings and a museum dedicated to prehistory. You can choose whether to focus your trip on water, hiking or culture.

Étang de Tamniès: lake, beach and seasonal swimming

The Plan d'eau de Tamniès is a five-hectare leisure lake, with a sandy beach covering 4,500 square metres. Every year, from late June to late August, supervised swimming and a bar are available at the Étang. Dates may vary from year to year. If swimming is essential to your trip, check the dates for the relevant year in advance.

At the Étang, facilities include an amphibious wheelchair, an accessible fishing pier and a circular path. The fitness trail is on the opposite shore from the beach. If any of these facilities are important to your plans, check what is currently available again before your visit.

Beune Valley and hiking

The Sentier d'interprétation de la Gargagnasse offers a way to discover the Beune Valley’s distinctive wildlife and plant life, as well as Tamniès’s built and intangible heritage. The Beune Valley associated with Tamniès lies within a Natura 2000 site and the Grand Site Vallée Vézère; its distinctive wildlife and plant life are being inventoried.

Another hiking option is the Boucle du Pech Malat. The circular route starts in Tamniès, is 12.2 kilometres long and moderately challenging, and takes about four hours. The Sentier focuses on nature and cultural heritage, while the Boucle can be fitted into your day based on its distance and approximate duration.

You can reach the Étang de Tamniès via the D704 between Sarlat and Montignac. Turn towards Tamniès and follow the signs to the Étang de Tamniès.

Building history and prehistory

The Romanesque church of Tamniès has a choir dating from the 12th century. The church in the village centre dates from the 13th century and was formerly used as a watchtower. The church of Tamniès is listed in the Historic Monuments inventory and was recently restored. Rural heritage includes bories and other buildings typical of the Périgord Noir. These include the church of the former priory, with a stone-slab roof.

A museum next to the church in Tamniès offers an introduction to prehistory and displays finds discovered and loaned by residents of the commune. If you plan to visit the museum, check its opening hours in advance. The Arbre de la Liberté in Tamniès was planted on 14 July 1790.

Season and timing

For a stay that includes swimming and hiking, two different planning considerations matter: supervised swimming at the Étang is seasonal, while the Boucle du Pech Malat takes about four hours. Check the seasonal dates for your travel dates and set aside a separate block of time for the circular hike.

Discover more destinations: Boulazac, Bourdeilles, Lembras, Saint-Antoine-De-Breuilh, Saint-Pardoux-La-Rivière, Gaugeac, Groléjac, Besse

For the broader travel overview: Dordogne.