St Nicolas Courbefy is a small elevated village nestled in the heart of the 'Mont de Chalus' (The mountains of Chalus) situated in the Perigord Natural Park (Nature Reserve). All of our properties for rent are located in the village and command far reaching rural views. In the heart of the village is a renovated Norman church which dates back to the the 11th century (built in 1127 in local stone. The ancient bells of the church ring 3 time a day at 08:00 in the morning, 12:00 midday and 19:00 in the evening and occassionally as a call to mass.
About 5km in either direction are the small villages of Bussiere Galant (Gare) and Ladignac le long where there is a food store, bakery and pharmacy (chemist). We recommend a car or good bicycle is essential for shopping or for getting around to see some of the surrounding area, local attractions and other sites of interest. Nearby Bussiere Galant is Espace Hermeline which is a great place to visit for a lakeside sandy beach, and where the more adventurous of you can take to the trees to try the 'walking in the trees' and take the (scary) zip wire right across the lake. There is also crazy golf, paintball and a 'velorail' cycling along the old railway track...
St Nicolas is surrounded by open rolling countryside and a region of natural beauty and historical importance. Situated in the nearby town of Chalus is Chateau de Chalus-Chabrol and is where the then King of England 'King Richard the Lionheart', received his mortal wound from a crossbow bolt. Legend has it that he received the fatal bolt from one of his own men. He was taken to a small medievil castle about 20 minutes away called Chateau de Montbrun where he died form his wounds. Chalus is about 15 minutes drive from St Nicolas Courbefy.
There are some beautiful walks in the hills and forests surrounding the village. Walks and trails are marked and you can immerse yourself in the beautiful nature and outstanding views. One of the trails takes you up to the old fortress village of Courbefy around 530 meters above sea level. Courbefy has a 17th century chapel and 3 holy wells situated closeby.
St Nicolas Courbefy is located just a few kilometers from the Dordogne border. Just 15 minutes drive through the natural park is the picturesque village of Jumilhac-le-Grand where there is a beautiful square and fountain situated by the stunning 16th centuary Chateau de Jumilhac. Every Sunday morning between mid June to mid September, there is an open-air market selling fresh local produce on the 'Place du Chateau'. The region is well known for being rich in minerals and during the season, gold panning on the banks of the river Isle (circa 10 km away) is available by appointment and subject to the weather conditions.
Around 15 minutes drive from St Nicolas Courbefy is the lovely ancient market town of St Yrieix la Perche
which provides an abundance of shops, banks, restaurants and a hospital. It provides a blend between the old and the new with it's cobbled old town whilst providing all modern amenities.There are weekly evening markets during the summer season. St Yrieix-la-Perche is famous for the discovery of Kaolin, hugely important in the manufacturing of it's world famous Porcelain. Walking in the old cobbled part of the town, you will see the old Roman collegiate church of Moustier. Guided tours for various interests are available by appointment through the tourist office. The town is steeped in history. It also has an indoor / outdoor water park with a large water slide.
About 10 mins drive from St Yrieix-la-Perche into the Correze is the very picturesque village of Segur-le-Chateau where the river Auvézère winds it's way through the heart of the village. There are places to picnic and eat / drink at the local restaurants. In the season, there is also a weekly evening producers market where you can sit by the river, buy some local poduce, have it cooked whilst you wait and enjoy the wonderful scenic ambience.
There are so many interesting and pretty places in the surrounding area for shopping, site seeing and relaxing.
Click on any of the images below of our village and surrounding area to view the gallery: