Constant, Dordogne, France
Hilltop position with magnificent views of glorious Dordogne countryside
Open Gallery-
60 apartments and cottages in a beautifully restored, ancient French hamlet
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Hilltop position with magnificent views of glorious Dordogne countryside
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A wealth of stunning châteaux to visit
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Wine, truffles... and French cuisine at its finest
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Fantastic walking country
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Beautiful little villages and towns, all a stone's throw away
Discover Dordogne
The Dordogne boasts some of France’s most attractive countryside, with gentle wooded slopes, rich farmland, wide boulder-strewn rivers and enchanting fairytale castles. Here, close to the fascinating town of Bergerac and the magnificent River Dordogne, is the old hamlet of Constant. The hamlet has now been rebuilt in the traditional Périgord style to provide holiday cottages and apartments that combine charming character with modern comforts.
The Périgord region is not just renowned for its gastronomy and its vineyards. It also boasts more than 1,000 castles and manor houses; medieval towns and churches; caves, troglodyte villages and rock shelters. Plus, it features breathtaking natural sites and unique fauna and flora, including wild orchids and a huge variety of birds which can be observed close to Constant.
The beautiful town of Bergerac, situated on the River Dordogne, is 13 miles from Constant. Famous for its tobacco, wine, and – of course – for Cyrano de Bergerac, it has many excellent shops, bars and restaurants.
The city of Périgueux is also within easy reach of Constant and is well worth a visit to see its Byzantine style cathedral, magnificent Renaissance houses, quaint cobbled alleys and boutiques.
Eat and drink to your heart’s content
Wine-lovers will be in heaven here, since Bordeaux and Bergerac are a stone’s throw from Constant. However, the area’s cuisine is just as impressive. You’ll find foie gras and duck can be seen on most restaurant menus. And of course, the Dordogne is also famous for its truffles.
Visit picturesque Bergerac
Situated on the bank of the Dordogne river, this town has more to offer than just great wine. Bergerac is charming, full of fantastic restaurants, unique boutiques and interesting museums. The old town is the most fascinating part of Bergerac, but keep a look out for the two statues of Cyrano de Bergerac, the subject of the well-known play – though the actual person never lived in the town!
Gaze upon French prehistoric art
The Dordogne region is one of the best places to see prehistoric cave paintings. These fascinating works of art reveal how the prehistoric French lived, with most depicting animals which are now extinct, including woolly mammoths and aurochs. Lascaux II, Font de Gaume and Rouffignac are the best places to see the paintings, and are well worth a visit.
Admire the stunning architecture
Dordogne’s turbulent past is evident from its architecture and the many different châteaux and castles. We recommend visiting Château de Beynac and Château de Bannes; both look like something out of a French fairytale.
Be sure to see some bastides too (medieval fortified towns and villages). Monpazier is one of the best examples of a bastide. There are lovely villages and towns wherever you go in the Dordogne, so you won’t have any trouble finding somewhere to explore.
Long-stay holiday
Want to enjoy this beautiful hamlet for more than a week? Well you’re in luck, as we offer concessionary long-stay holidays too. Please see our brochure or contact us for more details.
Shops and restaurants
Our small on-site shop offers a good selection of groceries, which guests can order prior to their arrival. A baker delivers to the site most mornings, and a catering service is available several evenings a week.
The on-site restaurant offers evening meals from mid-March to October. It has special opening hours for the Christmas and New Year holidays.
On-site amenities
One of the principal old buildings serves as a clubhouse, containing:
- a sitting room and library
- a children’s room
- snooker and pool tables
- a late departure and early arrival lounge, with washroom facilities, table and chairs, microwave, kettle and so on.
The site grounds have:
- two tennis courts
- two outdoor pools (the smaller of which is heated from 1st May until 30th September)
- one toddlers’ pool
- boules
- a herb garden
- a children’s play area
There is also an indoor swimming pool and a leisure complex with sauna and exercise room. Our games room has table tennis, table football, pinball machines, shuffleboard and other games.
A shop, information centre and free DVD library are located at reception. We offer free internet access via broadband and WiFi in reception, and WiFi only in the clubhouse and certain properties.
Barbecues are available for hire. Regular information meetings take place in the Salle des Fêtes.
Properties in Dordogne
Sixty apartments and cottages make up this medieval hamlet, olde worlde in atmosphere but thoroughly up-to-the-minute in facilities and furnishings. There’s something for all ages: you can swim, play tennis, use the exercise facilities, improve your table tennis… or just relax with a good book.
But of course France wouldn’t be France without food – and at Constant you can let the best of French cuisine come to you. Dine in the on-site restaurant. Pick up something for yourselves at the bi-weekly food producers’ mini-market. Visit a local farmhouse for the weekly dinner and get-together.
One thing’s for sure: at Constant, there’s no excuse for going hungry!
Cottages
The little village of Constant in the Dordogne comprises a collection of properties that, having been abandoned for over 30 years, are a combination of old buildings carefully restored over time, and new buildings added seamlessly to blend with the original architecture. This provides a total of 60 cottages and apartments rebuilt in the traditional Périgord style. The cottages range in size from one-bedroom to four-bedroom properties and the largest ones can sleep up to eight people, making them a great choice for family holidays or larger groups.
Cottages
Book a tourMost of the 47 cottages at Constant are two-storey. There are one-bedroom properties that can accommodate between two and four guests depending on property size, as well as two and three-bedroom properties and one four-bedroom unit. Several of the larger cottages are configured to sleep up to eight guests. With spacious interiors and, in many cases, open-plan living areas, these are great properties for gathering family or a group of friends, and providing a base from which to explore the surrounding landscape and medieval towns.
All the cottages have well furnished and comfortable living areas that are decorated with careful details that complement Constant’s ancient charm. One of the cottages has been adapted for wheelchair access and several of them are dog-friendly. All the cottages have a patio or terrace, great for those evenings together, sitting outside. And many of these have good views out over the beautiful surrounding countryside.
Facilities/equipment
All the cottages are fully furnished for a comfortable holiday. The bedrooms all sleep two, in either a double or twin beds, except the four-bedroom property, which has one additional single bedroom. Where necessary, some cottages provide a sofa bed or Z-bed in order to accommodate the maximum number of guests. All the cottages have a kitchen that is well equipped and many of the cottages feature an en-suite as well as the main bathroom/shower room.
Apartments
Thirteen Constant apartments are all one-storey, occupying either a ground floor or a first floor and most have an open-plan layout. These properties are on a smaller scale to the cottages, sleeping at most five people, depending on property size. These one and two bedroom properties are still, however, completely furnished to just as high a standard and feature all you will need.
Apartments
Book a tourThe hamlet of Constant has been rebuilt in the traditional Périgord style, and a number of single-storey apartments have been built throughout the grounds. Constant sits in a high position on a hilltop that enjoys great views over the surrounding beautiful landscape, wooded slopes and farmland. Constant comprises a combination of rustic stone properties and newer builds; all are traditionally painted and have steep-pitched tiled roofs creating that classic cottage look. A range of different-sized apartments are available and they are each furnished and equipped to a high standard, with all that you could need during your stay.
The two two-bedroom apartments can accommodate four and five guests, while the remaining one-bedroom units can sleep up to three people, with a Z-bed provided where necessary. This makes the apartments well suited to couples or small families looking to explore the fantastic Dordogne region.
Two of the apartments have been adapted for accompanied wheelchair users, and one is pet-friendly. All apartments have an outside area – a terrace, patio or balcony – to sit out and enjoy the warm evening air.
Facilities/equipment
All the apartment properties feature either double or twin beds, and extra sleeping facilities are provided for those apartments that have the capacity for extra guests. Every room is well furnished and the living areas are comfortable and relaxing. Kitchens are full of all the pots, pans, utensils, crockery and appliances you will need and a television and DVD player is also provided in each of the properties for those quiet evenings in together.
Constant’s beauty has to be seen to be believed, and we’ve tried to capture some of that in the photos below. Looking at the buildings, both internally and externally, it’s clear that the restoration of this hamlet is completely faithful.
The most modern structures are the two outdoor pools and the leisure complex, which features an indoor pool, sauna and exercise room. Depending on your preference, you can choose to stay in a modern or traditional Périgord-style holiday cottage or apartment. The latter features low ceilings, stone walls and large wooden beams, whereas the more modern properties are open-plan.
Whichever property to stay in, you’ll have access to some fantastic facilities and gorgeous views.
Gallery
Location
HPB Constant
Village de Constant
Saint-Félix-de-Villadeix
Dordogne
France
24510
Tel: +44 800 230 0391
Email: details@hpb.co.uk
Rich cuisine, fine wines, beautiful countryside, history in spades – the Dordogne has all this, and more.
To the south of Bordeaux, the region boasts a dramatic yet unthreatening topography; a surfeit of beauty, both natural and manmade; historic towns and cities; and, of course, fantastic food and wine.
Things to do in Dordogne
The Dordogne is awash with spectacular scenery and a raft of fascinating attractions and distractions, from medieval towns and roaring rivers, to monuments, castles and caves.
Discover bustling country markets, a wealth of wildlife and, of course, the finest restaurants to be found anywhere. And once you’ve eaten, work up your appetite again on one of the several walking paths and mountain bike trails next to the site.
In the summer months, a nearby lake has a swimming instructor, water toboggans, pedaloes and snack facilities.
A treasure trove of castles
Only 45km east of Constant, Château de Commarque sits in the Beune Valley between the towns of Sarlat and Les Eyzies. The original castle and fortified village were constructed in the 12th century, with a keep added in the 16th century. During the summer, there are regular guided tours (in French) around the ruins.
Head 20km south to Château de Castelnaud, a fortress located just across the Dordogne River. This impressive medieval castle brings to life warfare in the Middle Ages, including exciting reconstructions, models, videos and themed events.
Nearby Château des Milandes was built in 1489 by the owner of Chateau de Castelnaud. With Renaissance architecture and gothic elements, this charming castle was bought by Josephine Baker in 1947. Learn about the entertainer’s life and the castle’s history, before enjoying the birds of prey show and a meal at the restaurant.
Magical gardens and local gold
The Jardins de Marqueyssac in nearby Vézac offer a pleasant change. The park, which overlooks the entire Dordogne Valley, is designed for walking. The attraction also runs a range of different events, from workshops to candlelit walks, and has a games area for children.
A little further east of Castelnaud la Chapelle, Château de Fénelon overlooks the village of Sainte-Mondane. The 13th-century castle was added to in the 16th century, with little of the original building remaining. It houses a collection of fine furniture, armour and weaponry.
Travelling 90km to the north-east edge of Dordogne, the 13th-century Chateau de Jumilhac is also worth the trip. The unique turret-covered castle is home to a gold museum, which includes works of art and a history of the local gold mining industry.
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