A planned town beside the Dropt

Eymet is a small market town in the southern Dordogne, set in a bend of the Dropt near the edge of the Périgord. Its centre has the measured geometry of a bastide, the planned towns established in south-western France during the Middle Ages, yet the river gives it an individual shape. INSEE counted 2,569 people in the municipal population of the whole commune in 2023; that legal population took effect on 1 January 2026. The same statistical source counted 935 jobs located in Eymet in 2023. That is a workplace figure, not simply a count of residents who work in town.

Two dates, a castle and a market square

Eymet’s own heritage pages distinguish two milestones that are sometimes compressed into one date: they place the creation of the bastide in 1256 and date its customs charter to 28 June 1270. The municipality says a castle probably stood here from the late twelfth century, likely linked to the Caumont family; both the date and attribution are presented as probable. Castle remains still sit within the town’s fabric. The site later changed hands during the Hundred Years’ War, and the town became a Protestant stronghold from 1535. These documented layers give Eymet a history more complex than a picturesque medieval label.

Place Gambetta is the natural starting point. Arcades and the market hall frame a square positioned west of the bastide’s geometric centre, unusually close to the Dropt. The local tourism office explains that the position served a former landing place used for trade. Thursday remains the weekly market day in the town charter. Walk from the square toward the river and the old bridges: the Dropt carried goods by boat, while mills, wash places and crossings reveal how the water shaped work as well as defence.

A living service town and a useful base

INSEE’s 2023 register counted 331 economically active, non-agricultural market units in the commune; trade, transport, accommodation and food services accounted for 107. Shops, cafés, restaurants and visitor services make the centre useful beyond market morning. The tourist information office sits beneath the arcades and supports walking, local visits and accommodation planning. Around town, vineyards and the wider Bergerac countryside add day-trip possibilities, while the Dropt valley offers a quieter alternative to a circuit of famous châteaux.

For visitors, the difference between arriving by train and reaching Eymet matters. The tourism office lists Bergerac SNCF station about 25 km away; the final leg needs separate planning, so check current regional transport connections rather than assuming a direct train. By road, the D933 is one of the approaches from Bergerac. Once in Eymet, the compact bastide is best explored on foot, with riverside paths added for a longer outing. Confirm travel connections, the tourist office’s seasonal opening and current market or event dates before setting out.

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