The square and the keep

The Place Gambetta is the heart of the town, a 13th-century square surrounded on all four sides by stone arcades and half-timbered houses, with cafés and restaurants spilling onto the cobbles. A few steps away, the castle keep stands on the bank of the Dropt, a small river with a mill, a weir and a riverside path that is ideal for an evening stroll. The medieval street grid, the remains of the ramparts and the church make an easy hour of wandering.

Thursday market

The Thursday market fills the square and the surrounding streets: local cheeses, charcuterie, bread, fruit and vegetables, roast chicken, olives and the inevitable rotisserie smell. Go early, buy your lunch, and eat it at the house by the pool. In summer the Tuesday night market turns the square into an open-air restaurant with a dozen food stalls and long shared tables.

Walks and swims

The leisure lake just outside Eymet has a sandy beach, supervised swimming in July and August, pedalos and a snack bar, and makes an easy afternoon out with children. The Dropt valley also has gentle cycling on quiet lanes between Eymet, Issigeac and the bastide of Castillonnès.

Practical

20 minutes by car. Free parking along the river below the keep and on the boulevard around the old town. Issigeac, with its famous Sunday morning market, is 20 minutes further east and pairs well with Eymet for a market weekend.