So much water... !
The Departmental Council has four leisure and bathing sites open to the public. In the north, the Rouffiac leisure centre is a 40-hectare stretch of water in a 100-hectare site on the Petite Loue. The natural environment preserved on the edge of the Limousin, offers various activities related to water: swimming, fishing and even one of the only water ski lifts in the region. The great pond of Saint-Estèphe is one of the largest and most beautiful in the Dordogne. It is 21 hectares of water on 88 hectares of meadows, woods and granite chaos. A system of access to the bathing is specifically dedicated to the disabled. Going back down to the west, the large pond of La Jemaye (Natura 2000 sensitive natural area) has a string of ponds on 210 hectares in the mysterious forest of the Double. Proof if it were needed that it is possible to combine the preservation of natural areas with swimming. Finally, in the south-west of the department, the lake of Gurson includes a 14-hectare stretch of water. On these 4 sites, swimming is supervised every day in summer with a first aid post. They are all invitations to water sports activities: sailing, windsurfing, water skiing, rowing, kayaking, paddle... In addition, you should know that the quality of the water is regularly controlled by the Regional Health Agency. Some of its sites have been awarded the Blue Flag label.
For the more adventurous and those with a desire for invigorating discoveries, canoeing and river rafting offer, whatever your level, the guarantee of privileged moments in the heart of nature. The Périgord is the leading department in France for leisure boating, and can boast five rivers that are accessible in all seasons. The navigable rivers are: the Auvézère, the Dordogne, the Vézère, the Isle and the Dronne. The main bases in the green Périgord are in Brantôme and Bourdeilles. In the Périgord Noir, you will have a wide choice of boats to rent and you can go down the Dordogne from Corrèze to Saint-Vincent de Cosse. The Vézère is accessible from the base of Les Eyzies. You will find in the guide many addresses of professional renters with qualified instructors. Note that the Perigord river sports clubs regularly shine on the podiums and raise the seeds of champions. Let's mention the clubs of Périgueux, Marsac-sur-l'Isle and Castelnaud for kayaking and Bergerac for rowing.
Rampeau and other traditional games of the Périgord
You can play rampeau at most traditional village festivals in the Périgord. It is a betting game played with three pins in a row and a ball slightly larger than a petanque ball. Like bowling, the aim is to knock down all three pins in a single throw. When you succeed, you are said to have made a "rampeau" and you are selected to play again in the next round. The winner is obviously the one who stays in the game the longest, i.e. the one who has made the most ramps.
The origin of rampeau is not obvious, as it is a game played throughout the South West. But we find its trace in writings from the 18th century. Traditionally, the game was played during popular contests of villages, districts... It is easy to imagine some fights between rivals from neighbouring villages. The ground where the game is played today has remained unchanged since its origins, delimited and covered, depending on the case, with clay, sometimes covered with sand or shavings. The track thus formed is then called the plantier. It is often bordered with wood to contain the ball's course. Its length and width vary according to the village, the material of the ball too, it can be in boxwood or metal. The skittles are usually made of alder wood and can be up to 60 cm high. The rampeau is played by both adults and children. In Sarlat, the Ringueta, a festival of ancient games, is held every two years on the Place de la Grande Rigaudie, at the entrance to the medieval city. For two days, you can try your hand at old-fashioned games. Created in 1985, this festival is an opportunity to discover how our ancestors used to have fun in Périgord! It takes place at Pentecost, in even years only. Children can also play the barrel rodeo, riding astride an old barrel threaded on a rope, the goal being to move forward on the mount by pulling on the rope. Not so easy to stay in the saddle! Finally, the most popular game is the "mât de cocagne", which you have to climb with your bare hands to win the prizes hanging from it
Bike rides, bicycle touring and mountain biking
If there is one department where the natural sites lend themselves to this sport, it is the Dordogne! With more than 2,000 km of signposted trails, certified mountain bike centres where you can hire equipment and splendid greenways such as Sarlat-Cazoulès, the Vélo Route du Céou, the Canal de Lalinde, Thiviers-Saint-Pardoux or the Vélo route Voie Verte which links the Périgord to the Bordeaux region, there is a vast choice for all levels. The Flow Vélo® is the new Voie Verte cycle route which links Thiviers to the Ile d'Aix in Charente-Maritime over 290 km. After an incursion into the Périgord Limousin Regional Nature Park, it reaches Angoulême and then joins the Charente River, in a setting of vineyards. Along the way, Cognac, Saintes and Rochefort are all "Art and History" stops... before embarking on the Ile d'Aix, the pearl of the estuary. The Flow Vélo ®, chic and bucolic, is becoming increasingly popular. In the Périgord, the must-sees are located in the Périgord-Limousin Natural Park. The Flow Vélo® will lead you to discover its meadows of wild orchids. From the arts and crafts of Nontron, to the foie gras of Thiviers, via the medieval town of Saint-Jean-de-Côle, the green Périgord has many surprises in store for the cyclists who cross it. In addition, there are about thirty cycle tours in the Dordogne that can be discovered in the Tourist Offices, to be done individually or during gatherings organised by the very dynamic Comité départemental de Cyclotourisme
