The Walnut Route

The Dordogne river is the common thread running through the departments of Corrèze, Lot and Dordogne.

What is the Walnut Route?

The Route de la Noix du Périgord offers discovery and tourist itineraries based around 4 varieties of A.O.P. Noix du Périgord: Franquette, Grandjean, Corne and Marbot. The A.O.P. products concerned are fresh walnuts, dry walnuts and walnut kernels.

During your journey, you'll come across sites such as distilleries, mills, museums, walnut farms, craftsmen and producers, local markets and restaurants. They'll give you a better understanding of the history of the Noix du Périgord.

The walnut experimental station

You can also visit the Walnut Experimental Station at Creysse. The role of this station is to implement and carry out a walnut experimentation programme. They focus on the sector, while taking into account the new technical and economic imperatives of the sector. This site, run by the Syndicat Professionnel de la noix et du cerneau de Noix du Périgord, is not only a source of references, but also a forum for exchange for walnut production in the South-West.

Where to eat on the Walnut Route?

If you're feeling peckish, you can stop off at a farm inn like Marie-Claude and Jean-Luc Castagné's "Moulin à huile de noix". Just a stone's throw from Martel, they supply extra quality oil and offer generous menus based on duck, walnuts and lamb.

Visits around the walnut not to be missed

There are two places to visit that are not to be missed:

the Musée des Quatre Demoiselles in Saillac, which presents an original history of walnuts from all over the world.
the Moulin de la Vie Contée in Ligneyrac: oil pressing demonstration and tasting in the heart of the traditional mill.