Bergerac, Dordogne

Bergerac (French: [bɛʁʒəʁak] (listen); Occitan: Brageirac [bɾaʒejˈɾak]) is a commune and a sub-prefecture of the Dordogne department in southwestern France. Bergerac is designated as a 'City of Art and History'[2] by the Ministry of Culture (France). It is the secondmost populated prefecture in the Dordogne, after Périgueux.

This article is about the town. For the battle which was fought here in 1345, see Battle of Bergerac.

Bergerac
Subprefecture and commune
Bergerac overlooking the Dordogne river
Coat of arms
Location of Bergerac
Bergerac
Bergerac
Coordinates: 44°51′N 0°29′E
CountryFrance
RegionNouvelle-Aquitaine
DepartmentDordogne
ArrondissementBergerac
CantonBergerac-1 and 2
IntercommunalityBergerac Pourpre
Government
 • Mayor (2014–2020) Daniel Garrigue
Area
1
56.10 km2 (21.66 sq mi)
Population
 (2017-01-01)[1]
26,833
 • Density480/km2 (1,200/sq mi)
Time zoneUTC+01:00 (CET)
 • Summer (DST)UTC+02:00 (CEST)
INSEE/Postal code
24037 /24100
Elevation12–146 m (39–479 ft)
(avg. 29 m or 95 ft)
1 French Land Register data, which excludes lakes, ponds, glaciers > 1 km2 (0.386 sq mi or 247 acres) and river estuaries.

Population
Historical population
YearPop.±%
179311,720—    
18008,544−27.1%
18068,665+1.4%
18218,044−7.2%
18318,557+6.4%
18369,285+8.5%
184110,102+8.8%
18469,873−2.3%
185110,402+5.4%
185610,875+4.5%
186112,116+11.4%
186612,123+0.1%
187211,699−3.5%
187613,120+12.1%
188115,042+14.6%
188614,353−4.6%
189114,735+2.7%
189615,642+6.2%
190115,936+1.9%
190615,623−2.0%
191116,162+3.5%
192117,041+5.4%
192616,593−2.6%
193117,520+5.6%
193618,902+7.9%
194622,525+19.2%
195423,622+4.9%
196225,185+6.6%
196827,165+7.9%
197527,764+2.2%
198226,832−3.4%
199026,899+0.2%
199926,071−3.1%
200827,555+5.7%

Climate
Climate data for Bergerac, Dordogne (1981–2010)
Month Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec Year
Record high °C (°F) 19.1
(66.4)		 23.2
(73.8)		 26.6
(79.9)		 29.7
(85.5)		 33.2
(91.8)		 38.2
(100.8)		 38.7
(101.7)		 41.1
(106.0)		 37.5
(99.5)		 31.5
(88.7)		 24.8
(76.6)		 20.0
(68.0)		 41.1
(106.0)
Average high °C (°F) 9.5
(49.1)		 11.5
(52.7)		 15.0
(59.0)		 17.5
(63.5)		 21.5
(70.7)		 25.1
(77.2)		 27.5
(81.5)		 27.6
(81.7)		 24.2
(75.6)		 19.5
(67.1)		 13.3
(55.9)		 9.9
(49.8)		 18.5
(65.3)
Average low °C (°F) 1.5
(34.7)		 1.4
(34.5)		 3.4
(38.1)		 5.7
(42.3)		 9.6
(49.3)		 12.7
(54.9)		 14.4
(57.9)		 14.0
(57.2)		 10.9
(51.6)		 8.6
(47.5)		 4.4
(39.9)		 2.1
(35.8)		 7.4
(45.3)
Record low °C (°F) −10.5
(13.1)		 −17.1
(1.2)		 −12.0
(10.4)		 −4.2
(24.4)		 −0.7
(30.7)		 2.9
(37.2)		 6.7
(44.1)		 4.8
(40.6)		 1.2
(34.2)		 −5.5
(22.1)		 −9.8
(14.4)		 −12.4
(9.7)		 −17.1
(1.2)
Average precipitation mm (inches) 65.7
(2.59)		 56.0
(2.20)		 56.7
(2.23)		 76.3
(3.00)		 75.9
(2.99)		 59.8
(2.35)		 54.6
(2.15)		 63.4
(2.50)		 63.8
(2.51)		 76.1
(3.00)		 72.5
(2.85)		 79.9
(3.15)		 800.7
(31.52)
Average precipitation days 11.4 9.0 9.5 12.2 9.8 8.5 7.3 7.5 8.5 9.5 10.9 10.3 114.4
Mean monthly sunshine hours 85.4 111.3 167.4 178.0 210.8 231.7 248.0 240.2 199.3 136.9 88.7 78.2 1,976
Source: Météo France[3][4]

Economy
Main article: Bergerac wine

The region is primarily known for wine and tobacco. It has 12 recognized wine AOCs (Appellations d'origine contrôlée):

  • Bergerac
  • Bergerac Rosé
  • Bergerac Sec (dry)
  • Côtes-de-Bergerac
  • Côtes de Bergerac Blanc
  • Côtes de Montravel
  • Montravel (red and white)
  • Haut-Montravel
  • Saussignac
  • Monbazillac
  • Pécharmant
  • Rosette

Immigration

Bergerac is home to a population of British people who frequently identify as 'expats' rather than immigrants. This trend is not unique to Bergerac and is evident throughout the Dordogne.[5] In part, this is driven by house prices which are very affordable when compared with either the French or British national averages.[6] The increasing British presence has led to some integration initiatives such as the non-profit Université du Temps Libre which offers French language classes and a programme of cultural activities.[7]

Tourism

The town has a growing tourism industry. The region's association with wines is also a key motivating factor for much tourism[8] with wine tours, chateau visits and a wine house by the river which features an exhibition on the history of wine growing. Nearby sites for tourists include the Arboretum de Podestat, Château de Monbazillac, the town museum, statue museum, and tobacco museum. The church of Notre Dame is located in the town centre.[9] The Dordogne river is also a significant tourist attraction for river boat tours and kayak rental.

Cyrano de Bergerac

The town contains two statues of Cyrano de Bergerac, subject of a famous play of the same name by Edmond Rostand. An old stone statue stands on Place de la Myrpe, facing Place du Docteur Cayla. A newer statue, painted in colour and standing on a stainless steel pedestal, has been erected on Place Pelissiere.

Old statue of Cyrano de Bergerac
Newer statue of Cyrano de Bergerac

Transport

Bergerac is served by the Bergerac-Roumanière airport (code EGC), which has internal flights, and routes to UK airports including Southampton, Bristol, Manchester, East Midlands, Luton, Edinburgh, Exeter, Liverpool, Birmingham, Leeds-Bradford and London Stansted Airport. Transavia also flies to Bergerac from Amsterdam.

Bergerac has an SNCF station with regular services to Bordeaux and Sarlat-la-Canéda. A weekday bus service operates between Bergerac and Périgueux, mainly serving school commuters.

Education

Bergerac is located within the Bordeaux Académie, which covers the entire Aquitaine Region. The main High School is Lycée Maine de Biran. Other high schools in the town include the private school Institution Sainte Marthe - Saint Front, Lycée Jean Capelle and Lycée Profesionelle de l'Alba

International relations
See also: List of twin towns and sister cities in France

Twin towns — sister cities

Bergerac, Dordogne is twinned with:[10]

See also

References
  1. "Populations légales 2017". INSEE. Retrieved 6 January 2020.
  2. fr:Villes et Pays d'art et d'histoire
  3. "Données climatiques de la station de Bergerac" (in French). Meteo France. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
  4. "Climat Aquitaine" (in French). Meteo France. Retrieved December 28, 2015.
  5. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2018/mar/27/its-been-mad-dordogne-town-unexpected-brexit-boom
  6. https://www.completefrance.com/living-in-france/real-life/why-is-dordogne-so-popular-with-brits-1-5187294
  7. https://utlbergerac.com/Welcome
  8. https://www.pays-bergerac-tourisme.com/en/discover/wine-cuisine
  9. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:%C3%89glise_Notre-Dame_(Bergerac)
  10. "Les relations internationales". bergerac.fr (in French). Bergerac. Retrieved 2019-11-21.
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