As well as the beautiful towns and churches there are many other things that draw people to the Dordogne. The châteaux, mediaeval forts, the river, a host of activities for kids and, maybe above all else, there are markets that date back up to 1,000 years. There’s many more than are listed here, but we’ve shared a few of our favourites.

Dordogne Markets
As long as we’ve been holidaying in the Dordogne (20+ years) these markets often form the backbone of the day. Whether to just get the kids (or us) out of the house, en route to a chateau or an activity, or a pitstop on the way to lunch (or a place to buy local produce) they’re all very different, and a great way to explore the villages.

The examples below are by no means exhaustive, but give an indication of size and how much we / our guests love them. I’m listing Saturday to Friday, as most guests arrive on a Friday and are often too late to do much that day. I mention some restaurants in the market sections. It’s always worth booking in advance (highly recommended on market days) and in peak season (July and August.)

Saturday
Villeréal - although a bastide and located just into the Lot-et-Garonne, is a nice 30 minute drive and has a great traditional café (Le Moderne) on the square, as well as a few local restaurants and an Italian (Zio Enzo) place on the square that everyone raves about. It’s big too so maybe a good start to a holiday before you do a big supermarket shop. It also has baskets, wine, jewellery, clothes, olives and everything you’d expect to find in a regional French market

Beaumont-du-Périgord – a much smaller, local market but it still has vegetables, sometimes fish and there’s a good butchers and bakers in town too. We also use the wine shop on the square – great boxes of wine and a knowledgeable, helpful owner who hand picks great local and regional wines.

Further afield, and if you want to visit Bergerac, Saturday is market day.

Sunday
Issigeac – has always been a top 2 market for us and the stand out weekend market. It has everything but is very busy so worth getting out of bed early for. It’s ready to go from around 9am. It’s a quaint mediaeval village that dates back to Roman times. If you love markets it’s for you, but it’s also great to visit on a weekday (good wine shop and a few clothes / homewares stores) for a coffee or lunch. L’Atelier, La Brucelière, and Le Bouchon Médiéval all get consistently positive reviews and a thumbs up from us.

Monday
Les Eyzies – 40 mins so not a staple for us but a really good-sized market and there’s not much else happening on Mondays if the sun isn’t out!

Tuesday
Beaumont-du-Périgord – bigger than Saturday but not a giant by any means. Easy 15 min drive and can be combined – if you’re an early riser – with the morning croissant / bread run. There’s often an olive stall too if you share our tapenade addiction. Good pizza place on the square too if you ever want lunch in Beaumont.

Do find Parfumerie Prudence too. Prudence is an amazing Australian lady who has created her own range of addictive scents. Available worldwide but this is the only shop in the world.

Le Bugue – pretty big market and one we sometimes visited as there were a few attractions out that way that the kids loved when they were little (more below.) That said those attractions are probably best visited non-market days as traffic can get heavy.

Wednesday
No big standouts but – if it’s an overcast day or you fancy seeing Périgeux then there is a market there (do check before setting out.)

Thursday
Monpazier – The Iveys’ favourite. Big market. Everything you need. You can park in a big field on the far side of the town centre if you get stuck. Great linen shop in the main square too. Thoroughly recommended.

Eymet – further afield but an old favourite as it was very close to a place we first stayed while holidaying in the Dordogne. Huge market and worth a visit if (1) you like markets and don’t mind a drive and (2) if you have kids who love the pizza / Italian restaurant on the square. Eymet is sometimes referred to as “Little Britain.”

Domme and Lalinde also have really good Thursday markets.

Friday
Le Buisson-de-Cadouin – very local but not particularly beautiful. Not far away and pretty big though. Maybe something to do to get the kids out or if it’s overcast!

Other Restaurants we like:
Most restaurants we’ve mentioned are in market towns or the towns we’ve mentioned. That said there are a couple we’ve visited many times over the years.

Lanquais is a great place on the way to / from Bergerac airport and Les Maronniers is a great restaurant place en route (it has a lovely château – great to look at. Bit pricey to enter for what you get.) Or it’s about 30 mins from the house. Great for big group outside eating (and indoor in colder months) and great for traditional set menus. Good kids menu too.

Château Les Merles (the only Mr & Mrs Smith hotel in the Dordogne / near us) in Mouleydier has a great courtyard and is a lovely place to sit and enjoy the surroundings which are 10/10. Food maybe only a 7/10 but we keep going back and back for that very French vibe. Kids menu is good too.

Tremolat a hotbed of restaurants. First the great pizza place (Nulle Part Ailleurs) in the centre of town. Good for large groups with plenty of seating in and out. There’s also – for many – the best restaurant in the Dordogne. If you love great food or Perigordian Gastonomie you must try this place. Expensive but Michelin starred. Compared to big European cities though the Relais & Château – Le Vieux Logis at around 120 euros for the taster menu and a bargain 35 euros for local wine pairings it’s great value for what you get. There are other less pricey menus too. If this it too rich for your stomach or wallet their sister restaurant (Le Bistro de la Place) is also great.

Things to Do / All Weather activities with kids
Although the weather the last few years has been more hot than rainy the Dordogne has always been green for a reason. A bit of rainfall all year around.

So here are a few things to do whatever the weather or if you want to change things up a bit.

Château & Castles & The Dordogne River
There are so many to choose from but, near us, Château Biron is well worth a visit and is located just the other side of Monpazier so it works well if combined with a trip there.

Further afield but still only half an hour away is the historically interesting Château des Milandes. Learn about the fascinating Josephine Baker and what she brought to the area and the world in the 20th Century. Great for interiors, modern history and gardens.

Just along the Dordogne, La Roque-Gageac is a town with some historical buildings and is worth a visit, perhaps on the way to The Marqueyssac Gardens – spectacular whether you like gardens or not (a must visit) and a scary high wire / mountain face experience for the brave.

Just across the river there’s Château Castelnaud-la-Chapelle – an old school medieval castle with great views and (sometimes working) trebouchet. Also – in the same area – you have Château de Beynac. And if you want to go further afield, there’s spectacular views and great tourist shops (particularly pottery) at Domme – and there’s the Grotte de Domme there too if you like caves etc. (there’s also the Grottes de Maxange in Le Buisson-de-Cadouin which is just 15 minutes drive away.)

Other activities
The Water
Hiring canoes on the Dordogne is always an amazing thing to do. It can be brutal on a hot day so plan accordingly. There are too many options to list but – essentially – it’s either (1) go to somewhere around La Roque-Gageac (or that stretch of the river), leave your car, they take you up river and you enjoy the trip downstream floating through beautiful towns and near Château. There are trips of varying lengths but even the long ones can be completed more quickly if you like. Or (2) around Limeuil just go and hire canoes and play around in that spot. There’s good swimming there too if you have young kids. Nice and shallow.

The Caves at Lascaux
World famous and a great place to visit but – in July and August – can get busy so either queue or get there early. They’re popular for a reason but – and I’m sure you’ll read before you go – do note that they are not the originals (they were closed in 1963 due to degradation) - but have been authentically reproduced. They remain a top 20 tourist attraction in France.

Stuff for kids
Around Le Bugue was the hotspot when our kids were young. Are any of these spectacular? No. But did we have fun at all of them at various times? Definitely. There’s the Aquarium of the Périgord Noir – read online to see if it’s for you. Jacquou Parc the kids loved – it has a few various fun water slides and some fairground rides. Grear for under 10’s but again read reviews. It gets busier as the day goes on so start early. Also – when we were regulars – many of the rides stopped for an hour or two around lunchtime which is good to know. The food in there (sandwiches / frites) was good enough. We also enjoyed Le Parc le Bournat a few times. Old world displays (19th century schools etc.) and a few fun rides for kids. There’s a few other attractions around there (Labyrinthe Préhistorique?) but we haven’t been.

Other things you’ll find
Cinema – great cinema at Buisson le Cadouin if it’s a rainy day or there’s a new release you’re desperate to see. Many films (English language) are in their original form with French subtitles. You can check here. https://www.cinepassion-dordogne.com/

Massages - we know a few great practitioners who can come and visit if there's a few people in your party interested. Best to book before you get there. Let us know if you're interested and we can put you in touch.