Walking, Bicycling and Running

Without doubt Walking, Cycling and Running are popular activities for locals and those on vacation in France particularly in the forrets in this area.

There are many routes which are marked clearly on the tracks by wooden posts with Yellow caps and additionally indicate the direction you should turn.
These posts and the markings on them are set up for moving in a clockwise direction, as advised one day, by workmen repairing them.

One of these tracks passes through Pessel next to the Cottages.

Cycling Times:

It must be noted that these tracks are unpaved for most of their length and to cycle on these, a Mountain Bike is essential.

Cycling on the paved roads is tempered by the elevation changes and the following are timings taken by a couple in their 30’s.

Cycling Times on paved roads for some local destinations to/from Domaine de Pessel, elevation 195 m

Le Buisson de Cadouin: To – 45 minutes From – 75 minutes

Siorac en Perigord: To – 25 minutes From – 40 minutes

Cadouin: To – 30 minutes From – 40 minutes

The differential times reflect the changes in elevation along the route to/from Pessel.

This photograph is of the information board next to Urval Mairie.

It covers the large area centred around Cadouin and Le Buisson and includes an enlarged map of the Urval area.

This is a different map of the route which passes through Pessel, which is on the left of the image, Urval is at the top of the image.

The above map is taken from https://www.cirkwi.com/fr/circuit/105403-urval-boucle-de-urval-sud.

The website https://www.cirkwi.com/fr is one of the best we have found for its completeness, clarity and accuracy.
It is also available from Apple appstore and probably Android with ‘in app purchases’.
Apple gives it a 5 Star Rating from 1 review.

Maps are also available from the local Tourist Offices, including Soirac, which are available for purchase.

Andreas Hasenclever

HomeAway

5/5
Verwunschen und zauberhaft
Wir haben mit unserer 12 jährigen Tochter eine wunderbare Woche bei Christine und Alan verbracht und uns sehr wohl gefühlt. Das Haus liegt wunderbar auf einer bewaldeten Anhöhe. Ganz in der Nähe leben die beiden überaus freundlichen und hilfsbereiten Gastgeber. Auf dem gepflegten Gelände befindet sich außerdem noch ein weiteres kleines Feriencottage. Die Lage der Anlage ist optimal, um das Perigord zu erkunden. Schlösser, Burgen und frühzeitliche Höhlen sind gut erreichbar. Cadouin mit drei netten Restaurants liegt mit dem Auto zehn Minuten entfernt. Aber in dem schönen und großen Garten lässt sich auch leicht ein Tag ohne größere Aktivitäten verbummeln. Die Ruhe ist wohltuend. Unser Ferienhaus ist sehr gut ausgestattet und gemütlich. Es fehlt an nichts und die bequemen Sessel im Wohnzimmer laden abends zum Lesen ein - wenn man nicht gerade vom Garten aus den Sternen zusieht. Wir werden Domaine Pessel auf alle Fälle unseren Freunden weiterempfehlen und kommen sehr gerne wieder.

Joanna Wolak

VRBO

5/5
The perfect holiday spot
This holiday home set in a beautiful, peaceful hilly location, surrounded by woodland provided the ideal spot for exploring the Dordogne valley, with its many historic and prehistoric sites. We felt at home from the moment we arrived, with a bottle of wine, and walnuts from the garden as a lovely welcome. Owners Christine and Alan were very friendly and knowledgeable about the local area, always quick to answer any queries, and happy to make recommendations, and were genuinely interested in helping to ensure our stay was as good as it could be, but without being intrusive. The property's rooms were spacious and comfortable, with extensive grounds for the children to play in. The warm evenings with views of the starry night sky were unforgettable. All in all, we had a wonderful 2-week holiday at Pessel, and would thoroughly recommend this holiday cottage.

Elisabeth Balmigere 21/8/2021

* 5/5
Le calme et le charme absolu.
Très jolie maison ancienne pleine de charme,bien équipée.
Situation idéale pour visiter le Périgord.

Sarah Hodge Petit Pessel June 2019

Charming gite in peaceful countryside

The owners, Alan and Christine, were very welcoming on arrival setting the tone for our stay. The property was spotlessly clean, and thoughtful details included such as wine, milk, butter, bread and orange juice, tea and coffee, and olive oil, garlic and herbs for cooking. Pessel is very peaceful and is surrounded by beautiful woodland, so perfect for relaxing and enjoying nature. We didn’t need to venture far from the gite to see pine martins, deer, hoopoe, black kites, fire crests, short toed eagles and too many species of butterfly to list.
Alan and Christine were very helpful and charming and I wouldn’t hestitate to recommend Pessel to any nature lovers wanting to get away from it all.

Daphne van Sluijters Grand Pessel July/August 2019

Mooi authentieke cottage op een fine locatie

Wij hebben een heerlijke vakantie gehad in Grand Pessel. De ontvangst door Alan en Christine is heel hartelijk. Het zijn zeer fijne gastheer en gastvrouw. Ze zijn goed bereikbaar tijdens het verblijf. Het huisje ziet er prachtig uit en is compleet ingericht. De muren zijn heel dik waardoor de temperatuur binnen lekker koel blijft. Er was bij aankomst zelfs een "welkomstpakket" aanwezig met eerste benodigdheden (melk, brood, eieren, wijn, ...). De heel moderne inloop-douche is heerlijk en de bedden slapen prima. Slaapkamers zijn boven en bereikbaar met een trap met houten treden. Trap is prima te doen als je goed ter been bent (beter niet op sokken lopen) maar kan lastig zijn voor jongere kinderen die nog niet zo vast op de benen staan. De ligging van Domaine de Pessel is heerlijk rustig en er is veel ruimte om de cottage. De herten lopen soms zelfs in de tuin. Het zwembad is lekker groot en onze jongens hebben er veel plezier van gehad. In de directe omgeving zijn heel veel leuke dorpjes. Wij hebben eigenlijk nooit langer dan 45 minuten gereden om iets te bezichtigen. Dit werd vooral door de jongens (13 en 15) erg gewaardeerd. Op ong. 15 minuten rijden zijn 2 mooie abdijen die onder Unesco Werelderfgoed vallen. Deze zijn zeker de moeite waard. De dorpjes zijn alle gezellig met leuke terrasjes en restaurantjes. Veel dorpjes stammen uit de middeleeuwen met leuke kastelen en mooie uitzichten op de Dordogne. Kanoën op de rivier kan heel dichtbij en het aquarium in Le Bugue is zeker met kinderen een leuke attractie. Wij waren in Pessel vlak voordat de Perseiden zwerm het dichtst bij de aarde was. Omdat het gebied weinig lichtvervuiling heeft hebben wij regelmatig genoten van de ligbedden in de tuin om in de avond/nacht naar (vallende) sterren te kijken.

Beautiful authentic cottage in a fine location
We had a wonderful holiday in Grand Pessel. The welcome by Alan and Christine is very warm. They are very nice hosts. They are easily accessible during the stay.

The cottage looks beautiful and is fully furnished. The walls are very thick, which keeps the temperature nice and cool inside. There was even a “welcome pack” on arrival with basic necessities (milk, bread, eggs, wine, …). The very modern walk-in shower is wonderful and the beds sleep well. Bedrooms are upstairs and reached by a staircase with wooden steps. Stairs are fine if you have good mobility (better not walk in socks) but can be difficult for younger children who are not yet so firm on their feet.

The location of Domaine de Pessel is wonderfully quiet and there is plenty of space around the cottage. The deer sometimes even walk in the garden.

There are many nice villages in the immediate vicinity. We have never actually driven more than 45 minutes to see anything. This was especially appreciated by the boys (13 and 15). At about 15 minutes drive are 2 beautiful abbeys that fall under Unesco World Heritage. These are definitely worth it. The villages are all cozy with nice terraces and restaurants. Many villages date from the Middle Ages with nice castles and beautiful views of the Dordogne.

Canoeing on the river is very close by and the aquarium in Le Bugue is a fun attraction, especially with children. We were in Pessel just before the Perseids swarm was closest to Earth. Because the area has little light pollution, we regularly enjoyed the sunbeds in the garden to watch (shooting) stars in the evening / night.

Helen Wells Grand Pessel July 2019

Tranquility ...
A lovely property, lovely area and lovely hosts.

Laurent Meille August 2018

Très bien
Le chalet est de rénovation récente et remarquablement équipé, tout en gardant le cachet d’une ancienne maison périgourdine.
Le site est très plaisant, en pleine nature, avec des chevreuils jusque devant la maison.
Last but not least, les propriétaires anglais sont très sympathiques, et Mr Miller fait tout à fait honneur a l’humour britannique !!!
Je recommande vivement +++ Laurent Meille

RUSSELL MAPP Petit Pessel Sat, Aug 04 – Sat, Aug 18, 2018

Owners Direct

A very nice, quiet retreat.

The property is in a fairly remote location relative to the nearest village of Urval, but if you’re looking for peace and quiet you definitely get that. There are other buildings around, the owners house and one other rental property but they are distant enough not to intrude on your privacy. The property was clean and tidy and well presented upon our arrival and was reasonably well equipped. However some of the items listed by home away, such as wi-if, tv, dvd, radio are actually only available upon direct request to the owners. This was not a major issue to us as we decided to do without them, with the exception of the wi-fi, but we think it should be more clearly explained on the home away website. One other point to mention is that the oven is actually only a worktop oven about the size of a small microwave. The owners were very friendly and helpful and very understanding when we got delayed on the day of our arrival. Our fault for travelling on the first Saturday of August. They were quite knowledgable about the local area and suggested several places to visit and also the best times to visit. We enjoy walking and there were numerous waymarked walks in the area for which maps and guides were available from the local tourist information offices. Overall we had a very pleasant and relaxing stay.

Ali Robertson Sat, Jul 21 – Sat, Jul 28, 2018

Pleasant Stay

Beautiful and tranquil location. Cottage was idyllic and very well equipped. The owners had thought of everything to make it a pleasant stay. The patio area was lovely as were the surroundings. Cottage was exceptionally clean and very comfortable.
There is so such to do in the region and Urval is a great base for exploring the Dordogne.

ELISABETH ROBERT Petit Pessel July 2018

Un endroit charmant

Nous avons passé un excellent séjour de 15 jours dans cette maison typique. Sa situation au calme est en même temps idéal pour découvrir le Perigord noir. La maison a plein de charme, elle est bien équipée. Le rez de chaussée a aussi l'avantage de rester frais :cela a été très appréciable. L'extérieur est un cadre enchanteur. Mr Johnson et Mme Miller ont été des hôtes très accueillants. Nous conseillons vraiment ce gîte pour ceux qui recherchent le calme, la nature tout en étant bien situé dans cette belle région.