Aubeterre sur Dronne is located in the South of Charente department, of Nouvelle Aquitaine region. It was granted the “Plus beau village de France” label in 1993. This label is awarded to the most beautiful villages in France.
Access
The closest airports from Aubeterre (about 1h) are Bergerac and Bordeaux where flights to Great Britain are available.
As for railway services, Angoulême train station is located 45mn from Aubeterre sur Dronne and can be reached from Paris within 2 hours.
History
The name of the town comes from Albaterra which means « White Land ». It owes its name to the white limestone rock towering above the city. The owners of Aubeterre built the castle in the 12th century. During the Hundred Years War, the Count of Derby seized the city. In the 17th century, Francois d’Esparbes de Lussan rebuilt the castle.
Activities
The underground Saint Jean Church is one of the largest in Europe. It was dug into the cliff nearby the Dronne river and houses a stone reliquary and a baptismal pool. In 1958, a crypt with more than 80 sarcophaguses was found. The main nave reaches 20m high under the vault and a staircase carved into the rock has access to a gallery located 15m high.
The Saint Jacques collegiate church was built in 1171 to welcome the pilgrims who were heading to Saint Jacques de Compostelle (Santiago de Compostela). Today, only its beautifully sculpted front remains. The nave, chancel and bell tower were destroyed in 1562 during the religious wars.
In Aubeterre, craftsmen exhibit and sell their work: ceramists, potters, glass blowers, etc.
Also, the traveller can visit la “Maison des Marionnettes” which exhibits puppets and offers shows in French and English.
Other activities such as football, tennis and canoeing are available.
Food and Drink
In Aubeterre sur Dronne, food has flavours from Charente. Poitou Charentes is the first lamb producer in France. 25% of its lambs are granted the “Agneau du Poitou Charentes” label which meets strict criteria.
Grillon (pork with spices, walnuts and nutmegs) is a very old speciality, traditionally eaten on the 1st of May.
Cagouille is a type of snail, grilled, braised or prepare with pineau or white wine.
Le « cantaloup » charentais is a type of melon popular for its sweet and juicy flesh.
Le farci poitevin is a traditional meal with cabbage, salad, leak, garlic, onion, parsley, chives and eggs, milk, bacon.
Finally, Nouvelle Aquitaine produces honey all year: rape honey at the beginning of the year, acacia honey in May, chestnut honey, sunflower honey, etc.
Restaurants
- HOSTELLERIE DU PERIGORD, traditional meals.
Quart Plaisance, Aubeterre. Tel: 05.45.98.50.46 - RESTAURANT LE PASSÉ SIMPLE, cuisine with local products.
Rue du Minage, Aubeterre. Tel: 05.45.98.50.64
Our team of sale advisers at Sextant Properties will be happy to help you to find a property near Aubeterre. We have a large network of partners in Aubeterre. All of them are registered French real estate agents and speak both French and English. Whatever kind of property you are looking for: farmhouse, longere, barn, gite, B&B, country house, mill, castle or chateau, we will do our best to find a property in Aubeterre matching your requirements.