Sorges, Dordogne and the Truffle Ecomuseum

Visit Sorges

Sorges is a small village not far from Perigueux. It has a particularly attractive church which sits on a pleasant square. Sorges though is really famous for its truffles and is known as the 'truffle capital'.

Explore Sorges

Sorges is a quiet village and at the centre is the church and mairie, a few shops and a couple of tea shops. The church is a particularly attractive one for such a small village and has both Romanesque and Gothic-Renaissance architecture. Looking at the facade there is a Romanesque doorway on the right and a Renaissance doorway on the left.

Inside the church has been nicely renovated and you can admire the medieval carvings with animal shapes as well as human faces. There are also some attractive frescoes. A nice contemporary range of 'Stations of the Cross' artworks by the local artist Richard Riche are also on the walls.

The limestone soil and local climate have made Sorges an excellent place for growing truffles. Added to those attributes it was in the Sorges area that some of the earliest work on encouraging truffle growth was carried out. Acorns from oak trees with truffle growth at their roots were planted in suitable soil and the new trees were also found to be good truffle producers. In this way the local truffle industry flourished and Sorges became a capital for trufficulture.

If you want to know a bit more about the history and culture of the truffles there is a truffle museum in the village. The Ecomusée de la Truffe is open from the 17th of June to the 15th of September, from 10.00 to 12.30 and 14.00 to 17.00. The price is 5 euros for adults and 2.50 euros for 11-16s.

In the museum you can learn lots of interesting information about truffles. For example, truffles were appreciated even in ancient Greece, Egypt and Roman times. In the Middle Ages truffles were seen as a product of the devil and consumption was banned by the clergy. Then in Renaissance times the Italian nobility discovered a taste for truffles and particularly those from Piemont in Italy. In France François I and Catherine of Medicis followed the new trend and favoured the summer truffles of Bourgogne and Perigord. Truffles were back in fashion again!

There is a small shop in the museum selling truffle related products to take home and sample. You can also do a 3km walk through some truffle forests. Pick up a map or in the summer if you prefer you can do a guided visit. These start at 15.30 in July and August.

If you want to sample some truffles then the Auberge de la Truffe is the place to go. The restaurant is a 'three-chimney' Logis de France and has various dishes based around the local truffles.

Market day in Sorges is on Sunday mornings and in December and January there is also a truffle market.

Where to visit nearby?

On the edge of Sorges there is an attractive garden called Le Bouquet which has been planted with fifty parterres and patterns laid out in box hedging with various other plants and some flowers adding definition to the designs. It is quite unique and worth a visit.

If you are enjoying a gourmet trip to the Dordogne then Thiviers just a short distance away is known for its foie gras and has an interesting museum with information about foie gras production.

Brantome is one of our favourite places in the Dordogne and this along with neighbouring Bourdeilles should not be missed if you are visiting this part of the Dordogne. Brantome would make an excellent base for exploring the area as it has some good hotels and restaurants and is very beautiful.