Love a little Travel - France (Dordogne region)

I love the big cities like Paris, New York, and London and all the amazing things they have to offer- the restaurants, the bars, the events and the SHOPPING!! I love the city life and the excitement but I found living in different countries has opened my eyes to other ways of living life and forced me to do things out of my comfort zone. I would never have thought I would enjoy living a simple life in the country or the mountains or tiny villages but I enjoy it all now. 

I have lived in little villages with absolutely nothing to them apart from a stray dog or an interesting local. It does change you and make you appreciate life and the simple things. Now I cherish the time to be still, relax, and read. And the days you do nothing much at all make life better somehow. Travel really opens your mind and even if you are living somewhere that won’t be your forever place you can still have a wonderful experience while you are there.

My family and I just spent two months in France in the countryside in a region called Dordogne and it was quite and different for me but wonderful all the same. We now have a good list of things to do in the area with children but I found some of the villages are better explored without children. We did manage to do most things with the children but there wasn’t much for them in these villages although they came along and never complained. 

These are a few of our top villages in the area.

Sarlat-la–Canéda also referred to as Sarlat, is a medieval village in the region worth a visit. It was hard to hear a French accent amongst the English tourists but it still has some charm. We wandered up the streets and found some photo-worthy spots. You can get lost in the alleyways and streets of this pretty village and if you can look past the tourist and touristy shops you might find a gem or two. We still managed to have a nice meal in a restaurant just down one of the little alleyways. 

Montignac
A little town located on the Vézère River that everyone talked about in the region. We took the family to see what it was all about and while it was a lovely place to walk around it didn’t have as much as I had expected. We had a walk around the shops and sat on the riverbank for some sunshine before we found a restaurant near it for an afternoon drink with views of the river.  It was all lovely and the village was pretty but I would not rush back there.

Saint Émilion surrounded by vineyards this is one of the most beautiful villages we saw in the area. It was closer to Bordeaux than the village we were staying but it was worth the drive and a visit. The streets are immaculate and the town offers lovely shops, restaurants, and wine tasting. It is the perfect combination of history and nice wine. Famous for its Grand Cru there are plenty of wine tasting shops and fancy restaurants to keep the wine lover happy. We found a few cool shops that are worth a look, the shopping seemed much better here than most of the other villages we discovered.
If you want to explore the underground world of Saint Émilion you will need to do a tour to explore the secrets of the city and the religious history. And if you like old churches this one is worth a visit. I would have liked to spend a little longer in Saint Émilion wandering around the streets, I think you could get lost for hours down the narrow streets looking at all the pretty houses and gardens.

French Markets
Most villages in France have a weekly market, while some are better than others they generally offer similar things. We found a few good ones in the area that offered some different produce but we enjoyed visiting the smaller ones for our weekly shop of fresh fruit, vegetables, and cheeses. When in France you should grab your wicker basket and head to your local market each week before the supermarket. It is a great experience and nice to buy great local French produce. We would always do a supermarket shop weekly but found the markets a good experience. The markets opened our eyes to new foods, ideas, and tastes, which is what travel is all about. 

Issigeac – Issigeac Sunday market is one of the better markets in the area. A medieval town that had a little more to offer than the usual markets in the country areas. This town gets really busy on Sunday so get there early if you want to have the first pick. We found a few stylish clothes and jewellery shops, which is quite rare to come across in little French villages. I generally don’t find much to buy in the little villages but this one was an exception. The market atmosphere is buzzing with people and it’s a good market to visit if you only see one. 

Tremolat- is a very pretty little village with beautifully kept houses and buildings.  We went to a great antique market one Saturday here. We also found a few nice places to eat and a playground for the children. I noticed some lovely hotels as I walked around also. We met some charming families that live in this village from all over the world. 

Domme- Sadly we never made it to Domme but it was one on our list. Family and friends went and said it was beautiful for sunset drinks and dinner. Set high above the Dordogne River it is meant to have stunning views. 

These are another two villages we had on our list that we never made it to but they are meant to be worth a look. 

Monpazier- this medieval village has a reputation for being stunning with its old centre still completely intact. It is apparently the best of all bastide villages to visit and see what life was like around 600 years ago.

Beynac- this village is found on the banks of the River Dordogne and the castle perched up the hill behind the village and river. Apparently, you have beautiful views from every corner of the village, down the narrow streets and the restaurants. Supposably, the best time to visit is at sunset or at night when the village is lit like a fairytale village. Beynac should have plenty of restaurants and little boutiques to keep you busy. 

Let me know if you make it to any of these villages or any others in the area that you loved.  Even though we were there for a long period of time we still missed seeing some of the many sights and villages. You can see lots of other things to do on the blog post about Travel in France (Dordogne for families) even if you don’t have children.

I do love exploring the countryside in Europe and have been lucky enough to do this in France, Italy, Spain, and Portugal. I am always keen to see new places and do new things but being honest this time I found all the villages a bit similar. And I never thought I would say this but towards the end of our time away my husband and I were ‘villaged out’. We had seen one too many little villages and needed a break. At the end of the trip I was not ready to leave at all, but we preferred to spend time at home, going on walks or out for dinners- the simple life.

When we left the country I was so ready and excited to see Paris and explore a big city. Having had the quiet time in the country made me appreciate what I love and I am so grateful to have had the time we did away from the busy life. You should try it even for a day or two it’s life changing.