the Brantôme caves closed due to falling trees and stones

The Garenne troglodyte site in Brantôme-en-Périgord in Dordogne (Last Judgment cave and abbey courtyard) is closed for the 2024 season. Falls of rock blocks and trees, at the end of 2023, are there. ..

The Garenne troglodyte site in Brantôme-en-Périgord in Dordogne (Last Judgment cave and abbey courtyard) is closed for the 2024 season. Falls of rock blocks and trees, at the end of 2023, are origin of this closure. Security work adapted to the complex configuration of the premises is necessary, subject to expertise and environmental and architectural authorizations.

This security is currently under study. Authorization requests are launched. The work will be carried out as soon as possible, with the hope for local tourism stakeholders of an opening for the 2025 season.

The project will be carried out subject to the budgetary capacities of the Community of Communes Dronne et Belle and the municipality, and depending on the level of subsidies granted by the institutional partners.

Guided tours

Frédéric Vilhes, vice-president in charge of tourism at the intercommunality, site manager, and Julie Martinet, director of the tourist office (OT), explain that, to compensate for the closure of the site, new guided tours are launched in order to to discover the city’s rich heritage in a different way: visit the bell tower, the chapter house, the cloister and the church; partial tour of the abbey, during which the guides open the doors of rooms usually closed to the public (the Monks’ dormitory, the Clock room or the Council room); tour of the city, from the elbow bridge to the Jardins des Moines; visit on the theme of the history of troglodyte shelters.

On average, in high season, six visits are offered each day. A virtual discovery of the caves will also be offered on the Micro-Folie screen at the OT.

Information at the tourist office, every day from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., at 2, rue Puyjoli, tel. 05 53 05 80 63, e-mail [email protected].