Coux et Bigaroque-Mouzens, Dordogne; travel guide

Visit Coux et Bigaroque

Coux et Bigaroque-Mouzens is 40km to the east of Bergerac. It sits on a quiet stretch of road next to the river Dordogne but as most people take the bigger road on the south side of the river Coux-et-Bigaroque-Mouzens remains a quiet and largely ignored village on the north side.

The commune of Coux et Bigaroque was expanded to include the village of Mouzens in 2016. The commune is in the Perigord Noir part of the Dordogne.

Explore Coux-et-Bigaroque-Mouzens

Coux-et-Bigaroque-Mouzens is a beautiful little commune made up of three neighbouring villages; Coux, Bigaroque and Mouzens. They are all small villages but if you are in the neighbourhood they are worth a wander round. Especially Bigaroque.

Bigaroque is built on the side of the valley rising up from a very leafy and tranquille section of the river Dordogne.

Take a look at the houses, some of them are really stunning. A particularly fine house is the Grange aux Dimeires with its colombage turret and eclesiastical-looking windows. This 12 to 13th century building was once the barn where river tolls were paid and the boatmen could rest.

Right next to the river is the small 14th century church of Saint John in Bigaroque which has a dramatic bell-tower wall that totally dominates the small church.

Coux itself has more of a traditional village centre with a few small shops and a bar-restaurant. Its church, the eglise Saint Martin de Coux has a flat bell-tower wall like the one in Bigaroque and it has a sculpture from the 12th century on its facade.

Mouzens has an attractive centre with a lavoir and attractive stone houses. Up a hill along a narrow road is the church of Our Lady of Assumption whose choir dates back to the 12th century.

Also on a hill above the river is the Chateau de Monsec which was built in the 14th century on even older foundations and extended in the 17 and 19th centuries. Close to the castle is a neo-Gothic chapel that was built in the 19th century.

The castle was used as the location for the French film Jeannou by Leon Poirier in 1943.

Coux et Bigaroque-Mouzens once belonged to the bishops of Bordeaux who put the toll station on the river. The hundred years war put an end to this profitable acivity as well as to the castle which once overlooked the village and valley. The castle was rebuilt but destroyed again in 1624.

In total in Coux et Bigaroque-Mouzens there are three castles, two churches, 18 grand houses and various interesting architectural details such as ancient ovens, original bathhouses, pigeon houses etc. Have a wander round and see what you can find.

Places to visit nearby

The attractive town of Saint-Cyprien is not far to the east of Coux et Bigaroque-Mouzens and Le-Bugue is a short way to the north. Both are a reasonable size and have supermarkets, bars and restaurants and would make a good base for exploring this stretch of the Dordogne.

To the south the lovely medieval village of Belves is a treat.

If you wish to see some of the magnificent pre-historic sites which are abundant in the area then you will want to head towards Les-Eyzies-de-Tayac with its excellent pre-history museum and the wealth of prehistory sites in its immediate vicinity.

Le-Buisson-de-Cadouin and Limeuil to the west both have excellent river beaches if you wish to swim in the Dordogne.