We came upon Limeuil by accident. A lucky accident. We'd rented a place in Le Bugue that looked perfect on-line but turned out to be uninhabitable. Fortunately, we got our money back. Unfortunately, we needed somewhere else to stay and we were trying hard to stay on budget.
We found it in Limeuil, just down the Vèzére River at its confluence with the Dordogne. This was over our budget, but too sweet to pass up after the first night. The village is real and utterly gorgeous. It spills down the steep hill to the river along narrow streets that charm. The long, steep, cobbled walk seemed to keep the more casual tourists and those out-of-shape from crowding the small place. The river level had two touristy roadhouses. A few small souvenir shops shouldered in. Tourists stopping below could have driven up, but the actual road is a ways back down the main road and doesn’t proclaim itself. We loved it.
This was heaven for photos and sketches. There were excellent walks. A fantastic park perched on the highest point and we were slightly below and adjacent to it in a comfortable hotel and restaurant, Au bon Acueil, where a lovely breakfast came with the room. I think this may have been the prettiest place we’ve stayed.
Limeuil was also better placed for explorations and reparations than Le Bugue, which has its charms as the market town..
The hostelry was owned by a couple in their 40s. She ran the hotel and dining room. He was the chef. Three meals per day, though there was additional staff at lunch and dinner when people from elsewhere came to dine. Everyone was warm and helpful. The food was the best of the few restaurant choices in the town. If it’s still there, a pretentious place had a prime location outside the park at the top of the hill, but one visit was one too many. At the price of two.
As I mentioned, two roadhouses sat at the bottom on the main road. Not much to offer, but a cheaper fallback for a snack, not a meal. In fact, it’s really not far in the several directions of the rivers to enjoy discoveries of good food, from local cafes to well-reviewed restaurants.
Sometimes you just get lucky.
The village is tiny, old, and strategically placed.
