|
BrantA?me
|
|
|
BRANTA?ME
, 27km north of PA©rigueux on the AngoulA?me road and beloved of British tourists, sits in a bend of the River Dronne, whose still, water-lilied surface mirrors the limes and weeping willows of the riverside gardens. On the north bank of the river are the church and convent buildings of the
ancienne abbaye
that for centuries has been BrantA?me's focus. Its stone facades, now masking the secular offices of the
HA?tel de Ville
, have that pallor and blank stare so characteristic of the self-denying institutional life - not that self-denial was a virtue associated with this monastery's most notorious abbot, Pierre de Bourdeilles, the sixteenth-century author of scurrilous tales of life at the royal court. It's worth taking a look inside the
A©glise abbatiale
for the palm-frond vaulting of the chapterhouse and the font made from a carved and grounded pillar capital. Also of architectural interest is a fine stone staircase at this end of the HA?tel de Ville, but BrantA?me's best architectural feature is the Limousin-style Romanesque
belfry
standing behind the church against the wooded and cave-riddled scarp that forms the backdrop to the village.
Families with children may appreciate the MusA©e de RA?ve et Miniatures in rue Puyjoli (April-June & Sept to mid-Nov daily except Fri 2-5/6pm; July & Aug daily 11am-6pm; 38F/a?¬5.79), while a walk through the nearby gardens and along the pleasant balustraded river banks is a must. There are also boat trips on the river in summer (May-Sept; 35F/a?¬5.34). At least three buses a day (Mon-Sat) connect BrantA?me with the TGV in AngoulA?me. The tourist office (Feb, March & Oct-Dec daily except Tues 10am-noon & 2-5pm; April-June & Sept daily except Tues 10am-12.30pm & 2-6pm; July & Aug daily 10am-7pm; closed Jan; tel & fax 05.53.05.80.52) is next to the abbey church. You can hire canoes and bikes from BrantA?me CanoA« (tel 05.53.05.77.24).
The best cheap
accommodation
and
food
is to be had at the
HA?tel Versaveau
, 8 place de Gaulle, at the north end of town (tel 05.53.05.71.42; under 160F/a?¬24; restaurant from 65F/a?¬9.91, closed three weeks in Nov), though prettier and more comfortable rooms are available at
HA?tel Chabrol
across the river (tel 05.53.05.70.15, fax 05.53.05.71.85; 220-300F/a?¬34-46; closed Feb & mid-Nov to mid-Dec), whose restaurant,
Les FrA?res Charbonnel
, is in the gourmet class, with its cheapest menu at 165F/a?¬25.15 (closed Sun evening & Mon Oct-June). If you're feeling rich, you could treat yourself to a meal for 240F/a?¬36.59 plus at the beautiful
Moulin de l'Abbaye
hotel by the tourist office (tel 05.53.05.80.22, fax 05.53.05.75.27,
moulin@relaischateaux.fr
; over 800F/a?¬122; closed Nov-April; restaurant closed Mon lunchtime). Under the same management,
Au Fil de l'Eau
, on quai Bertin, with tables down by the river, offers lighter meals at more affordable prices (closed Jan & Feb, also Mon evening & Tues; from 110F/a?¬16.77). Campers should head for the well-run municipal
campsite
north of BrantA?me on the D78 Thiviers road (tel 05.53.05.75.24; closed Oct-April). Other useful information
for tourists (each section contains more specific sub-sections): |
|
France,
|