Grand Countryside Estate With Heated PoolN°001
Dordogne / Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France
From $2,494 per night
Photo by SlimMars 13Golden stone villages, river châteaux and the deep French countryside
The Dordogne, heart of the old Périgord in France's vast Nouvelle-Aquitaine region, is a landscape of honey-stone villages, clifftop châteaux and a slow green river that has drawn travellers for centuries. A luxury villa here means a private pool among walnut orchards, market mornings in Sarlat and long candlelit dinners under the plane trees.
- Sarlat-la-Canéda's medieval old town and its famous markets
- Clifftop châteaux of Beynac and Castelnaud facing off across the Dordogne river
- The Vézère valley's prehistoric caves, including the Lascaux IV replica
- Storybook villages: La Roque-Gageac, Domme and the bastide towns of Lot-et-Garonne
- Stone farmhouses and manor villas with private pools and concierge service
Known forMedieval Sarlat, châteaux above the Dordogne river, the prehistoric cave art of the Vézère valley, truffle and walnut markets and canoeing
Best time to visitMay, June and September for warm days without peak crowds; July and August for full summer
Nearest airportBergerac (EGC) and Brive (BVE); Bordeaux (BOD) and Toulouse (TLS) for long-haul connections
Ideal forFamilies, food lovers and multi-generational groups seeking pool, countryside and heritage in equal measure
Exquisite Historic Castle in French CountrysideN°002
Dordogne / Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France
Private pool
From $2,413 per night
Château With Terraces Overlooking Dordogne ValleyN°003
Dordogne / Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France
From $1,401 per night
Expansive Estate Villa with Pool in PalajaN°004
Dordogne, France
From $1,302 per night
Spacious Périgord House With Pool AccessN°005
Dordogne / Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France
Private poolGardenAir conditioning
From $959 per night
Peaceful Hamlet Manor With ViewsN°006
Dordogne / Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France
Private poolGardenFireplace
From $890 per night
8homes available
4–20bedrooms
up to 44guests
5with a pool
Dordogne / Nouvelle-Aquitaine in pictures
Events not to miss in Dordogne / Nouvelle-Aquitaine
- Mid-January
Fête de la Truffe, Sarlat
Sarlat devotes a winter weekend to the black Périgord truffle, with markets, tastings and chef demonstrations in the medieval centre. A pilgrimage for gourmets in the quietest, most atmospheric season.
- Early July
La Félibrée
Each year a different Périgord town hosts this festival of Occitan culture, decking every street in thousands of paper flowers for parades, music and shared feasts. A moving expression of local identity, held since 1903.
- Late July to early August
Festival des Jeux du Théâtre de Sarlat
Open-air theatre takes over Sarlat's golden squares and courtyards each summer, a tradition running since the 1950s. Evening performances in the medieval setting are magical, even for non-French speakers.
- July
Mimos, Périgueux
Périgueux hosts one of Europe's leading festivals of mime and gesture theatre, filling the old town with street performances. An easy and unusual cultural day trip from the villa.
Dordogne / Nouvelle-Aquitaine through the seasons
- Spring (March – May)
Green valleys and quiet châteaux
Gardens and riverbanks turn lush, strawberries arrive on the market stalls and the great châteaux and caves are blissfully uncrowded before summer.
- Summer (June – August)
River days and night markets
Canoeing beneath the châteaux, river beaches and village night markets define high summer, with festivals in Sarlat and across the Périgord.
- Autumn (September – November)
Walnut and cèpe harvest
The woods turn copper as walnuts are gathered and wild mushrooms reach the menus, with warm September days still kind to the pool and the vineyards in harvest.
- Winter (December – February)
Truffle markets and firelit stone houses
January and February are black-truffle season, with markets in Sarlat and villages drawing gourmets. Log fires in old stone villas make it a deeply cosy time to stay.
The Area and Where to Stay
This is deep rural France at its most beautiful. The Périgord Noir around Sarlat is the classic heartland, where villages such as Saint-Geniès and Marcillac-Saint-Quentin sit among oak woods and walnut orchards minutes from the river's château-crowned bends. The Dordogne itself flows past La Roque-Gageac and beneath Beynac and Castelnaud, while the Vézère valley to the north shelters humanity's oldest art. Southwards into Lot-et-Garonne, around the bastide country of Lauzun and the hills near Laplume by Agen, the landscape opens into sunflowers, plum orchards and quieter roads. Villas here are typically restored stone farmhouses and manor houses with pools, terraces and shady courtyards. Base yourself near Sarlat for the greatest density of sights, or in Lot-et-Garonne for space and value, and let the concierge organise markets, canoes and cave tickets.
Things to Do
The essential day is a canoe descent of the Dordogne, drifting beneath Beynac's fortress and the amber houses of La Roque-Gageac. Storm the ramparts at Castelnaud's castle of medieval warfare, climb to the clifftop bastide of Domme, and lose a morning in Sarlat's golden lanes, especially on Wednesday and Saturday market days. The Vézère valley holds the region's deepest wonder: the painted caves of prehistory, seen today at the remarkable Lascaux IV replica and at sites such as Font-de-Gaume. Gardens lovers have the sculpted box parterres of Marqueyssac suspended above the river. Further afield, Rocamadour clings to its cliff a little east, Saint-Émilion's vineyards lie towards Bordeaux, and hot-air balloon flights over the valley make an unforgettable villa-holiday centrepiece. Bicycles, riding and golf fill the quieter days.
Food and Local Flavour
Périgord is one of France's great larders. This is the country of truffles and foie gras, of walnuts pressed into oil, duck confit, cèpe mushrooms and strawberries from the market stalls, with Bergerac and Monbazillac wines poured alongside and Agen's famous prunes to the south. Sarlat's markets are the theatre of it all, while village fêtes and night markets in summer serve long communal tables under the lime trees. Restaurants range from farmhouse ferme-auberges to refined dining rooms in riverside villages. At the villa, the natural rhythm is market shopping in the morning and a private chef in the evening, turning walnuts, duck and black truffle into suppers by the pool; the concierge arranges chefs, tastings and winery visits.
When to Visit
May, June and September are the connoisseur's months, warm enough for the pool yet calm on the roads and in Sarlat's lanes, with markets in full voice. July and August bring high summer: river beaches, night markets, festivals and the region at its liveliest, when villas book furthest ahead. Autumn is harvest time, as walnuts fall, cèpes appear on menus and the woods turn copper. Winter is quiet and atmospheric, and January to February is truffle season, when Sarlat's truffle market draws gourmets to the cold golden streets. For a family summer, reserve early; for food and tranquillity, aim either side of the peak.
Getting There
Bergerac Dordogne Périgord Airport (EGC) is the closest gateway, around an hour from the Sarlat area, with seasonal flights from the UK and elsewhere in Europe; Brive (BVE) serves the eastern valley. For long-haul and year-round connections, Bordeaux (BOD) and Toulouse (TLS) are each roughly two to two and a half hours by car. Trains reach Sarlat via Bordeaux and Agen serves the Lot-et-Garonne villas. A car is essential in this countryside of small roads and market towns, and the concierge can arrange private transfers and hire-car delivery to the villa.