On this walk, you can see a church which contains a very beautiful 17th-century altarpiece. Following the Batissou hills trail, you can enjoy a lovely view of the Auvezère gorges, before arriving at the forges and blast furnace of Savignac-Lédrier. You will then go on to the village of Savignac-Lédrier before passing by the Good St. Mesmin fountain and the Ruban falls.
| Department | Dordogne |
|---|---|
| Departure municipality | Saint-Mesmin |
| Outing type | Hike |
| Difficulty | Easy |
| Duration | 4:00 |
| Recommended period | from june to september |
| Environment | Countryside |
| Kilometres | 8 km |
| Altitude upon departure | 288m |
| Change in altitude | 186m |
Depart from the centre of Saint-Mesmin (car park). Head towards the cemetery, turning right after the church.
1. Next, follow the yellow signs. Once you arrive at the road, turn right and go downhill. Just before the bridge, you will see the old water mill, which used to be a flourmill.
2. Cross the bridge then turn right onto the marked trail going uphill.
3. Admire the Auvezère gorges then follow the yellow signs up to the road which you will turn onto, on your right. Continue to Veaupeytourie, where an underground passage is said to have been created in the 17th century between this village and the Savignac-Lédrier Forges Castle. Continue along the road until you reach a pond.
4. At the crossroads, turn right then follow the yellow signs to reach the Savignac-Lédrier Forges estate, which you can visit in the early afternoon.
5. Setting off again, take the footbridge over the Auvezère. You can then head left until you reach the dam.
6. Retrace your steps, passing in front of the footbridge to your right without crossing over it, then follow the Auvezère to reach a road suitable for motor vehicles, which you walk along until you reach the departmental road. Turn left onto it to reach the village of Savignac-Lédrier, where you will take a road towards Saint-Mesmin on your right. Follow it to the locality of Les Bessades. About 150 metres after that, you leave the road to turn right onto a trail marked with yellow signs.
7. You then pass by the Good St. Mesmin fountain then continue along the trail. Next, follow the sign to the Ruban falls (Saut Ruban) then go down the trail to the Ruban falls viewpoint.
8. To leave the site, follow the path marked by three differently coloured spots, which follows the Auvezère confluent named the "Porte-Étoupe". You then arrive on the trail where you were before. Cut across this trail then continue opposite to the village of Saint-Mesmin (there will be a low wall to your left), heading towards the car park. Just before the car park is an old cattle shoeing workshop. An old presbytery dating back to the 17th century, this cottage was also used as a carpenter’s workshop once.
