Saint Jean de Cole (a listed 'most beautiful villages of France') is east of Brantome and 7 km east of Thiviers in the north-east corner of the Dordogne department. It is an attractive - a very attractive - village sat on the banks of the Cole River.
Explore Saint-Jean de Cole
Saint Jean de Cole village is quite small but boasts a castle, a large church, a priory, an unusual shaped stone bridge over a lovely stretch of river, lots of colombage (half-timbered houses) and it once won the prize for ‘finest roofs in France’.
The castle, called the Chateau de la Marthonie, is a functional but attractive castle and sits on one side of the main square. The castle dates from the 12th century but what you see now dates from a 15th century reconstruction, with a 17th century wing.
The church of Saint-Jean-de-Cole, which is of a unique design in Perigord, is on another side making the square very striking. Wander along from the square past the lovely stone houses and you reach the river and its hump-backed bridge. The bridge over the river is a lovely arched, stone bridge dating from the Middle Ages and has a lovely view back to the village itself - the view up and down this verdant stretch of the river Cole is very pretty.
The houses in the village are picture-postcard pretty, with many having the traditional tiled rooves of the region - the village has been said to have the most perfect roofs in France. There are also some very attractive colombage houses lining the streets in the village dating from medieval times.
Every year during the weekend closest to the 8th of May St Jean de Cole has a flower fair (Les Floralies) where more than a hundred exhibitors exhibit and sell plants and garden products. It is a very colourful event and a great time to visit the village.
Local highlights and attractions
The Chateau de Puyguilhem is to the west of Saint-Jean-de-Cole. We also highly recommend that you visit Brantome, one of the loveliest towns in this part of the Dordogne and situated to the south-west of Saint-Jean-de-Cole.