Duras

The Bastide of Duras is an historic market town that lies on a hillside along the river Dropt. The Chateau of Duras overlooks the valley and it's beautiful landscape of rolling hills. While in Duras there are so many things to see and do:

• biking and bike hire, boating, canoeing, fishing, horse riding, golf, kayaking, swimming, tennis, walking, wine tasting
• Chateau des Ducs du Duras circa 1137 castle that overlooks the river Dropt. The chateau was purchased by the town of Duras in 1969 and sympathetically restored over 20 years to it's original state. Today, laser technology brings the chateau to life with troubadours, knights and ladies, and the music of the great hall.
• LAC de Castelgaillard is a large, beautiful lake only 5 kilometres from Duras which offers: archery
  • canoe and windsurfer hire
  • riding stables
  • picnic areas
  • sandy beach, swimming, waterslides
• Golfing - there are two 9 hole and three 18 hole golf courses within 20 to 40 minutes of the town of Duras
• Museums:
  • Le musée de l'outil ancien à Soumensac - this museum consists of over 1000 ancestral tools. Free entry.
  • Le musée du parchemin et de l'enluminureree entry - located in the center of town - explains the technique of creating manuscripts in the Middle Ages using parchment, ink and colours. The academy also offers a caligraphy workshops for up to 50 students.
• Boulangeries (bakeries), markets, supermarkets, chemists, banks, Exchange Office, post office. Duras offers excellent shopping. Venture out early morning to one of several bakeries to buy your fresh baked croissants and breads or wander through the fresh produce stalls at the local market on Mondays (open until noon).
• Wines in the Aquitane wine region ~ A variety of grapes are grown throughout the area including White: Colombard, Sauvignon Blanc, Sémillon, Muscadelle, and Ugni Blanc; and Red: Cabernet Franc, Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec, Merlot, Petit Verdot.
• Weather forecast (5 days) for Duras, France by Metro Consult
• Online maps from Multimap.com. Click here for Duras in comparion to the map of France (the red circle indicates the approximate location of Duras which is 100 km from Bordeaux). Click here to see the street map of Duras.
• Airports - Bergerac is only 40 minutes from Duras, while Bordeaux is one hour. Each airport has car hire available.
• Tariff for 2008 ~ $950 per week (from Saturday to Saturday only)