Dordogne, the perfect Fall/Winter getaway
Who doesn't love the French countryside? I think of long summer evenings, dining with cheese and wine, good conversations, and beautiful hikes. But what is the Dordogne like in winter? This December, we went on a 5-day trip and visited 4 destinations that are definitely worth visiting in winter.
Day 1 – A perfect start
With Transavia we flew from Rotterdam to Bergerac in less than an hour and a half. The airport there is so small that your checked-in luggage is on the belt within 5 minutes and you are in your rental car within 10 minutes. Ready to go on an adventure!
We drove from Bergerac to our first destination, Le Vieux Logis. A 4-star hotel on the edge of the tiny village of Trémolat. While landing, we noticed that the entire region was still full of autumn colors. In Trémolat, we stayed at Le Vieux Logis; a warm and cozy hotel, recently renovated. It was abundantly decorated for the holiday season which gave the perfect winter holiday vibes. We were welcomed by one of the owners and given a tour. The hotel has beautiful rooms, ranging from standard double rooms to roomy family rooms to accommodate every traveler.
During the tour we heard about the special history of the hotel. The original owner passed away in 2019, leaving the entire hotel to four long-serving staff members. All four are still working there and put their heart and soul into this hotel. The atmosphere, the restaurant with the Michelin star (Chef Vincent Arnould is one of the four owners), the garden and the rooms, everything is delightful.
The next morning, we enjoyed a delicious breakfast in the dining room before we packed our suitcases and continued our journey. Two kms away we stopped at a viewpoint where you can admire the Lalinde, one of Dordognes river, meandering past the villages.
Day 2 – Historical highlights
We drove further and passed the village of Cadouin. Here we visited a medieval monastery. Once the house of monks, it is now seen as an architectural highlight. The 7 sins are incorporated into the architecture, and although many statues lost their heads during the French Revolution, the stories told here are still clearly visible.
Just before sunset we drove past Chateau de Biron. This gigantic castle is situated on a hill in the middle of a small village. Here we had the most wonderful sunset we had seen in a long time. The blue sky, the autumn colors and this beautiful castle created a special picture.
At nightfall we drove to Issigeac, where we stayed at Namaste Cottage, a B&B with 5 spacious rooms. In addition to just breakfast, you can opt for the ‘table d’ hôte’, a home cooked meal. Olivier and Magali, the owners, joined our table and told us everything about the town. After a delicious dinner, an even more delicious dessert, and some glasses of wine, we went happily to sleep.
Day 3 – Visiting Issigeac
The next morning, we decided to visit the town of Issigeac. It was a lovely sunny Sunday morning and the market was pleasantly busy, mulled wine was sold outside and Christmas choirs performed traditional French Christmas songs. We had lunch at a restaurant on the edge of the town: l'Atelier.
After a delicious lunch where Cuno enjoyed the Crêpes Suzette, we packed our things, said goodbye to Olivier and Magali and drove on to Saint Félix de Villadeix. Here we stayed at Guesthouse Les Cieux de Saint-Félix. Upon arrival we immediately launched our drone, because sunset seemed like the best time to capture this impressive guesthouse. The guesthouse’s cat Felix brought us a prey as a welcome gift, so we immediately felt at home. The proud owner Gaël showed us the entire guesthouse and told us that he had turned on the sauna for us. Before dinner we enjoyed the spa, which has a Turkish steam bath and a sauna. You can also book massages here and, weather permitting, take a dip in the pool.
Day 3 – It’s all about truffles
The next day we wanted to do something special and visited the local truffle market in Sainte-Alvere. Gaël had already warned us that we should be there early. The market opens at 10am and when we arrived there it was already packed. The entire region comes to this market. The truffles are inspected in advance and divided into 3 categories. Category 1 is the best and sells for around €1000 per kilo. The second category that we see being sold goes for €800 per kilo. But even though truffles are called 'black gold', they are simply placed on plastic tables and transported in old shopping bags. A true spectacle to see. The truffle season lasts from December to February, the later the better. The truffles are extra expensive in December because they are still scarce and extra popular in connection with Christmas. The harvest is slightly better in January and February if you are hunting yourself.
We continued our journey towards Monpazier, but first stopped at a large farm run by the l'Effrontée beer brewery. Owners Maeva and Isa started their own beer brewery in 2019 and grow the ingredients for their beer brand on their own land. With the sun on our faces, we toasted with a beer to the good rural life that the Dordogne offers them.
That evening we drove to Monpazier, a town known as one of the first Bastides. A Bastide is a city or village with a rectangular street pattern which divides the town in eight blocks with a central marketplace. These towns date from the 13th and 14th centuries and Monpazier is one of the first in France, often taken as an example for the construction of later Bastides. We stayed at a brand-new hotel in the middle of the city, 'Le Chevalier Bleu' and dined later in the evening at Le Croquant. A very cozy and popular restaurant in the old quarter, where the fixed menu is written on a chalkboard. We also enjoyed their delicious natural wines. Highly recommended!
Day 5 – Flying back home
The next day we flew back from Bergerac. We look back on a wonderful and relaxing trip. We met many interesting people, had delicious food, enjoyed the landscapes and all the beauty that the Dordogne region has to offer in winter. The beautiful weather and cozy Christmas atmosphere were certainly a plus and we would love to come back again.
Useful links
Transavia to Bergerac
Le Vieux Logis
Cloître de Cadouin
Château de Biron
Namasté Cottage (no English website but easy to translate with Google Chrome)
Les Cieux de Saint-Félix
L'effronté (no English website but easy to translate with Google Chrome)
Le Chevalier Bleu
