Creysse

Location: Beside the Dordogne river.
Restaurants and shops: In the heart of the village stands the L'Auberge de L'Ile, a hotel with a brasserie and restaurant, open between April and September.
Market: In July and August the market hall is the setting for a farmers' market every Tuesday between 5pm and 8pm.
In a nutshell: A gem, a typical Quercynois riverside village, clustered around its fortress - built to watch over the river crossing leading southwards towards Rocamadour, Toulouse and Santiago de Compostela. Now that the modern river crossing has moved downstream to Meyronne, Creysse is a beautifully tranquil backwater.

The fortress of Creysse marked the most easterly advance of the English armies along the Dordogne and was taken in 1353. The fortress walls are now much reduced but you can still appreciate the medieval character of the village centre by walking up to visit the famous church near to the impressive tour du guet or watchtower.

This pretty little village sits alongside the river Dordogne. The houses in the centre are clustered together and are typically quercynoise with their steep, brown tiled roofs.

The church, perched on a rocky outcrop and to be found up a steep path in the centre of the village, was once the chapel of the chateau owned by the Viscounts of Turenne. Dating from the 12th century, it has unusual twin apses, found nowhere else but in Corsica and Cyprus. The door of the church opens onto a floor paved with river pebbles.

The market hall in the centre of the village dates from the 17th century. A little stream, the Cacrey, runs past it, under bridges and alongside a short track leading down to the river Dordogne.

In the middle ages Creysse was a formidable fortress, of which can be seen the ruins perched on the rock. The fortress covered an area 120 metres by 45 metres, encompassing the seigneur's chateau, the square lookout tower from which the plain could be surveyed, and the church.

In early August the annual fête attracts locals and visitors for three days of festivities, including an open-air film, a splendid meal of grilled quails, dancing, a disco and an excellent firework display.

	Village houses
	In the village centre: cross the bridge and take the path up to the church. This path was created to give the villagers access to their new church, the former chapel of the old chateau, given by the seigneur to the village.
	Looking down from the rock, next to the church
	The Auberge de l'Ile in the village centre has a brasserie and restaurant.
	We are indebted to Monsieur Bourdier for this excellent history of Creysse
	The tour du guet - a medieval lookout tour