So you've brushed up on your French gardening vocab, but now you need some inspirational French gardens to get you in the mood... Take a look at some of our favourites, all within easy reach of Gourdon! There's a garden for each day of the week (leaving the weekend free for gardening!)
#1. Jardins de la Butte
Well of course we have to start with Gourdon's own Jardins de la Butte. A series of charming themed gardens in the medieval quarter of the town, created and maintained by volunteers. If you are passing by on a Tuesday afternoon, why not roll up your sleeves and join the gardeners? You'll be made very welcome, as you help pull up a few weeds - and practise your garden French at the same time!
Open all year round and free to visit
0 minutes from Gourdon
#2. Jardins de Marqueyssac
The park, designed for walking, is situated on a spur and overlooks the entire Dordogne Valley with its chalky cliffs, revealing the most spectacular panoramic view. Unlike many formal French gardens, Marquessac's boxwood hedging is pruned into curvacious shapes and walkways, which give it a very distinctive identity.
Open all year round
35 minutes from Gourdon
#3. Jardins d'Eyrignac
Arranged over 10 hectares, these gardens are a feat of French topiary not to be missed. We suggest you make a day of it, with lunch in the restaurant or with
your own picnic, as this is a visit that garden lovers will need some time to soak up, appreciate and savour.
Open all year round
35 minutes from Gourdon
#4. Jardins Secrets
The Secret Gardens in Cahors are twenty or so gardens dotted throughout the town, that collectively merit the prestigious label "Jardin Remarquable". This is a great way to see the town, as the gardens lead you up and down the medieval streets and to the cathedral.
www.mairie-cahors.fr/decouvrir/parcJardin/jadinSecrets
Open all year round and free to visit
45 minutes from Gourdon
#5. Jardins de l'Imaginaire
The expansive contemporary gardens at Terrasson explore wind, water, vegetation and changes in level and perspective. Travel through wooded zones to discover
fantastic water displays and the "green theatre".
Open April to September
60 minutes from Gourdon
You can discover more of what the area has to offer in our article on 10 of the iconic sites of the Lot and Dordogne, all within easy reach of Gourdon, of course!