Servanches offers several starting points for planning a trip: preserved defensive architecture, the Church of Saint Blaise, the route of the Via Turonensis and opportunities to taste local products. The landscape also plays a part, with ponds and the Natura 2000 designation “Vallées de la Double”. You can give these themes different emphasis depending on whether your interests lie more in architectural history, the pilgrimage tradition, food or the landscape.
Fortified tower and church: two historic landmarks
At Château de Servanches, the ground floor and first floor of a fortified tower attached to the side of the house have been preserved. The Church of Saint Blaise offers a different architectural point of interest: it was rebuilt in the 19th century, and its west façade features a bell tower. Culture enthusiasts can make a brief comparison between a preserved part of a fortified tower and the church’s period of reconstruction and façade detail.
Landscape and park
The Natura 2000 site “Vallées de la Double” is also designated in Servanches; the official designation dates from 6 October 2016. Ponds are another feature of the local landscape. The protected area’s name and this specific landscape feature offer different perspectives on nature. If you would like to consider landscape as well as cultural heritage when choosing a destination, both are points of interest in their own right.
The château is surrounded by a five-hectare enclosed park, with nature as its only view. If you would like to include the park in your stay, check access conditions in advance, as they may change for guests. This lets you take the landscape into account when planning without assuming that the park is freely accessible.
Pilgrim route and local tastings
The pilgrimage route from Tours to Santiago de Compostela, the Via Turonensis, passes through Servanches. This gives your trip a different focus from the architecture and culinary offerings: Servanches lies along a named pilgrimage route. If you are interested in pilgrimage routes, this connection may be a reason in its own right to include the village in your selection.
La Dobla is an organic craft brewery in a former farmhouse in Servanches. By appointment, visitors can tour the hop plantation and taste the beers on offer. Arrange your visit before travelling and check whether tastings are available. Both the brewery and the hop plantation are central to this experience.
At the La Clairière restaurant, you can sample local specialities. This is a different culinary option from La Dobla: there, the focus is on beer and the hop plantation; here, it is on local specialities. Check availability before travelling if you would like to plan a tasting.
Choose accommodation to suit your plans
When looking for a hotel in Servanches, you can first decide which themes matter most for your stay. If you would like to visit the hop plantation, plan around the appointment requirement; for the park, check the access conditions.
Discover more destinations: Saint-Saud-Lacoussière, Piégut-Pluviers, Saint-Martin-de-Ribérac, Lacropte, Coubjours, Doissat, Lempzours, Saint-Pierre-De-Frugie.
See the regional travel overview: Dordogne.
