Villars brings together prehistoric cave art, historic buildings and named hiking trails as distinct areas to explore. When choosing a place to stay, you can consider whether you would like to focus mainly on prehistory, architecture from different periods or walking. Each of these interests has a specific connection to Villars.
Cave art in the Grotte de Villars
The Grotte de Villars is one of the largest underground cave systems in the PĂ©rigord; almost 13 kilometres have been explored so far. This scale makes the cave system a notable natural feature of Villars. At the same time, the grotto has a cultural and historical dimension: its prehistoric paintings were created around 20,000 years ago. They include a rare depiction of a bison and a human. This specific motif gives the cave art a distinctive emphasis and shifts the focus from the scale of the system to a single image from prehistory.
Church, château and abbey
The Église Saint-Martial is listed as a historic monument. Part of the north wall of its nave dates from the 12th century. The church also retains defensive features, a Renaissance portal and traces of 17th-century wall paintings. Thus, different features have been preserved: a dated section of wall, a portal associated with the Renaissance and later artistic traces. Together, they offer a specific insight into the church’s architectural and artistic history.
Construction of the Château de Puyguilhem as a Renaissance residence began in the 16th century. The château can be visited throughout the year; check the current visiting arrangements before your trip. The Abbaye de Boschaud adds concerts, choral singing and theatre performances to the cultural offerings. If you plan to attend a specific performance, check the dates before your trip.
Hiking trails and a prehistoric themed trail
The hiking trails can also be compared using their stated details. The Sentier des Lavoirs was created in the municipality of Villars and is about 10 kilometres long. The Boucle de Villars is an easy 9-kilometre circular hiking route that takes about three hours. This makes the Boucle shorter than the approximately 10-kilometre Sentier des Lavoirs; at the same time, its circular format, difficulty level and approximate time frame are specified. These key details can help you consider both route length and time when choosing.
The Jardin préhistorique de la grotte de Villars offers a different scale: its 700-metre landscaped trail introduces visitors to Cro-Magnon people. Quizzes, botanical information panels and reconstructions of prehistoric camps and animals make it an educational experience with a playful approach. While the hiking trails are defined by their length and route format, the focus here is on presenting prehistory.
Discover more destinations: Champagnac-De-Belair, Campagnac-lès-Quercy, Thenon, Saint-Laurent-Sur-Manoire, Lavaur, Fougueyrolles, Chapdeuil, Cherval
For the broader travel overview: Dordogne.
