With its fortified church, beautiful houses and hiking trails, the small village of Cendrieux has more than enough to seduce you! Its historical heritage and many other attractions are sure to surprise you.
Cendrieux, a timeless village
Cendrieux has all the charms of a classic Périgord village: deeply pitched roofs, gold-coloured stones and narrow streets. It changes as the seasons rotate, and it’s a truly enchanting village for lovers of nature and architecture alike. You’ll love strolling through the village streets which follow the plan of the original medieval fortification.
Cendrieux’s historical heritage
One of Cendrieux’s jewels is undoubtedly its Romanesque fortified church, which is listed as an Historical Monument. Dedicated to Saint John the Baptist, it features a bas-relief which is thought to show a pilgrim with a staff or maybe a Templar with a sword.
WANT TO KNOW MORE ?👀 Take the time to stop and read the information panels dotted throughout the village, which will fill you in on all the historical details.
The Napoleon Museum
Not far from Cendrieux, you’ll find two unique sites: the Napoleon Museum housed in the Pommerie Castle, Musée Napoléon at the Château de la Pommerie and the reconstruction of an original site once used by the French resistance or Maquis de Durestal.
- At the Château de la Pommerie estate, you’ll be greeted by Baudoin de Witt, a direct great-grandnephew of the Bonaparte family. The Napoleon Museum houses over 500 objects, paintings and sculptures from the Imperial family. Among them are some of Napoleon Bonaparte’s most personal objects, such as the candlestick that accompanied him until his death on St. Helena. The miniature recreations of battle scenes help to plunge you straight into the heart of the First and Second Empires!
AFTERNOON TEA ANYONE ?😋 You can take tea served in the porcelain tea service once belonging to the Empress Eugenie and you can also rent a holiday home or ‘gîte’ on the Domaine de la Pommerie estate.
The Durestal Resistance camp
- Don’t miss the reconstructed resistance camp, known as the Maquis de Durestal, one of the most emblematic sites in Périgord. This walking tour takes you through the woods once used by the Périgord resistance fighters and gives an idea of what life was really like for them during the Second World War. It’s an emotionally-charged place, with huts made of sheet metal, a dormitory, a kitchen, an ammunition bunker and even a prison. Perhaps the most sobering aspect of the site is seeing the actual graves that were dug for traitors shot on the spot. Self-guided, guided or audio-guided tours are available all year round
OUR FAVOURITE 📲 Download the app “C’est quoi la résistance?” (What is the resistance?) available on your app store. Discover the daily life of a young resistance fighter, a stirring fictional account created by the Tourist Office
Other attractions in Cendrieux
For the more sporty, Cendrieux’s hiking and biking trails “Boucle du Maquis” and “Boucle des Hauts du Vern” are a great way to get out and about in the countryside !
Practical information
Where to stay?
Find unusual holiday accommodation in Cendrieux.
Where to eat?
Bar-tabac-restaurant Le Cendrieux | Open all year | Tel. 05 53 08 16 97 | Email : lecendrieux@orange.fr.
Major events
Imperial Days at the Musée Napoléon (every 2 or 3 years)
•Cendrieux en Fête, 1st weekend in September
•La cendrieucoise (hiking) at the end of September
•All year round performances and shows as part of the cultural programme, “Scènes d’agglo”, in partnership with the cultural centre PNC AGORA in Boulazac – Espace Culturel André Malraux.
