Nailhac brings together Romanesque architecture, walnut growing, and regional agriculture. The offerings at the two farms differ in how visits are scheduled: Terre de Noyer offers seasonal tours, while guided visits to Les Vergers de la Guillou take place by appointment. The church and the FĂŞte de la Noix in August round out the selection.
Romanesque church and rural landscape
The Eglise de l'invention de saint-Etienne is a Romanesque church dating from the 12th and 13th centuries. Its bell gable has four round-arched openings. The church’s only bell is in the fourth opening on the south side. This bell was listed as a protected movable cultural asset on July 13, 1994. The period of construction, bell gable, and bell offer different points of reference for understanding the church’s architecture and history.
Nailhac’s village center sits on a small plateau, surrounded by rounded, wooded hills. The Boucle de Nailhac circular route passes through walnut orchards and a landscape dotted with numerous remarkable buildings. The village center’s location and the combination of orchards and built heritage along the route offer different perspectives on the area.
Walnut farms and guided visits
Terre de Noyer has been a family-run farm since 1932, in the hamlet of Le Verdier in Nailhac, Dordogne. The farm combines Limousin cattle farming with walnut growing. In July and August, tours of the farm, workshops, and oil mill are offered on Mondays and Fridays at 10 a.m. Groups can be welcomed year-round by reservation. If you are planning your stay around a seasonal tour, confirm the visiting hours before you travel.
At Les Vergers de la Guillou, the walnut takes center stage, from the orchard through the processing stages. The guided farm visit is by appointment and covers the walnut orchard, its care, the harvest, sorting, and drying. The farm produces walnuts and walnut kernels bearing the “AOP Noix du Périgord” designation. While the visit to Terre de Noyer includes the farm, workshops, and oil mill, Les Vergers de la Guillou’s offering follows the stages of the walnut orchard and its harvest.
A visitor information notice from 2023 describes the guided visit to Les Vergers de la Guillou as almost entirely level and obstacle-free. A numbered written visit document is available on request for people with hearing impairments; access to the fruit and orchard by touch is also possible. As this information dates from 2023, check these visiting conditions again before you travel.
FĂŞte de la Noix in August
The FĂŞte de la Noix in Nailhac takes place on the third Sunday in August. If you are traveling for the festival, check the exact date for your travel year. For an August stay, the festival and farm visit are separate planning considerations: tours at Terre de Noyer take place on Mondays and Fridays at 10 a.m., while the festival is on Sunday. Be sure to confirm the seasonal farm tour dates before you arrive, too.
Discover more destinations: Azerat, Chassaignes, Thenon, Saint-Aulaye, Vieux-Mareuil, Villars, Saint-Vincent-De-Cosse, Cornille
For the main travel overview: Dordogne.
