The Dordogne has been popular with house-buyers from outside the Hexagon. But there are many things to consider before you buy, so here’s a guide to the different attractions of the Dordogne and points to ponder before you sign on the dotted line.
Two or three years ago, I decided I would start working as a DJ in France in the summer, in order to pay for longer holidays in the Dordogne. In the summer of 2014 I managed to get up to 22…
In certain towns within the Dordogne region, you may notice a new tree planted or tree branches tacked on to the front of local businesses along with a couple of small tricolore flags and a sign annoucing ‘Honneur’. Find out what it means…
Escaping the sun’s glare on the village square in Cazals, northeast of Cahors, I’m sipping a post-lunch coffee with Alice Loftie who, alongside husband Charles, is a FrenchEntrée Estate Agent Partner in this sleepy Lot village. On the walls, there are sun-kissed…
Located on the banks of the Charente, Cognac has a history as rich as its famous drink’s flavour. The area has been inhabited since the Prehistoric era and, even if their origins remain a mystery, there are still relics from…
Sarlat-la-Canéda is the heart of the Dordogne Valley and the capital of the Périgord’s gastronomic specialities: walnuts, black truffles and, most of all, foie gras. Florence Derrick ‘takes a gander’ at the town’s annual celebration of goose-based cuisine, Sarlat en Périgord Fest’Oie
The black truffle, also known as the ‘black pearl’ or ‘black diamond’ of the kitchen, is one of the most expensive edible mushrooms in the world. It is harvested from November to February not just in the Perigord, but also in a number of other regions where conditions are favourable, and that includes the Languedoc and Provence.
The latest edition of FrenchEntrée Magazine is on sale now! It looks like this: It’s packed with great holiday inspiration for 2015, including: Our pick of great events to add to your diary, including Menton’s magical lemon festival (pictured) Foodie tours…
I landed at Brive airport in the Dordogne valley for the second time in a year. During my first visit, I had been told about prehistoric caves and paintings. The story of the caves captured my mind and inspired me to…
Graham Welch became a committed Francophile while studying and now runs the website A Year in Périgord.com. He reveals his most special moments spent across the Channel
The world of French cuisine – where do we begin? In this country of culinary delights, each time of the day is well catered for. The entire nation awakes to the divine scent of freshly baked baguettes and silky butter croissants, bitter…
A glimpse of famous women from the Dordogne valley, past and present.
A look at the different French foie gras products. Being unused to this product in the UK, the various forms of foie gras can be confusing at first.
This delectable treat is ideal to go with aperitifs – they really get the tastebuds going. Delicious with a floral, dry white wine, fizz, dessert wine or fortified wine…
Dordogne has a reputation for being full of Brits and according to official figures, it has a UK expatriate population without equal in France. Why? It is an amazingly beautiful region with lots of space and a healthy property market.
It’s perhaps the most prestigious winemaking region in the world. Tom Gilbey looks at the celebrated wines produced in Bordeaux.
Jacqueline Hanks lives in the Bergerac and southern Dordogne area. Here she takes us through its top attractions, from townhouses with colombage to pretty new villas with swimming pools, not to mention excellent transport links and delicious local produce.
Nia Hafsia left Wales in 2005 to start a business in Bergerac making natural soaps, including varieties such as beetroot & celery, strawberries & Champagne, chestnut & chocolate torte. The opera singer and piano teacher wanted to do something different.
Amongst the ever changing array of fruit and vegetables on offer at France’s markets and restaurants, expatriates might discover produce unknown to them.
Say bonjour to Jacqueline Hanks, the latest addition to our network of French Property Finders. From her base in Bergerac, Jacqueline can help others interested in the Southern Dordogne area to make the move to France. To read more about the…
A new regime for septic tanks came into effect on January 1st of this year, which has brought a new concern for sellers of Dordogne property. At the time the preliminary contract is signed, the seller is now required to produce a certificate of compliance in relation to any septic tank arrangements.
This week, John Starr, our property finder for the Dordogne/Corrèze secured one lucky couple a house in Excideuil (Périgord Blanc) for just €52,500. It’s habitable, double glazed and insulated throughout, with oil fired central heating and a fosse septique, not to mention…
Chris and Marian Blake from Wiltshire have a gîte complex, La Petite Auberge, just outside of Eymet in the Dordogne. FrenchEntrée went to meet them in the run up to the start of their seventh season, to find out what they’ve learned about running a business in France and living like the locals.
Sophie Read performs as one half of Paris-Londres – the musical duo that performs in front of the cathedral in Sarlat. Fifteen years ago, Sophie completed her masters at Sussex University and moved to Paris on a whim… Read on to find out how she came to be en Dordogne.
Caroline Feely left her job as an IT consultant in Ireland to pursue her dream of wine farming with husband, Sean, in France. From Château Haut Garrigue – their new base in the Dordogne – the couple juggle the demands of running an organic vineyard and raising their two girls.
As the capital of the Périgord, there are certain things you’d expect to find in Périgueux (Dordogne). It’s got high street shops, an impressive cathedral, students and some pretty municipal gardens… not to mention Roman ruins and an unusual statue of a peg-leg general.
Image not found.The famous Dordogne caves (grottes) are situated at various sites throughout the region. Created originally by glaciation and water erosion, they take many forms and are fascinating for all ages.
Local fruit and vegetables vary according to season, but confit de canard and foie gras are in constant supply. Obvious accompaniments are truffles and walnuts – both readily available here. The Bergerac wine region ensures there is something good to drink as well.
Stephen Spencer lives with his partner Valerie Faure near Bergerac (Dordogne) and less than six months after his arrival, he opened a shop, So British, in Bergerac’s old town. But prior to that, he had been more used to selling properties than clothes.
The Phœnix Association in Dordogne offers a helpline service to answer all your questions on animal welfare in France.
Furniture for France is now into its twelfth year of supplying quality furniture to properties in France. Furnishing your Limousin home can be something of a challenge as it is not easy to find classic and contemporary designs of good quality at the right price.
The joys of life in South West France are known to millions of regular visitors. The region boasts such scope, such diversity of topography – from the Biarritz beaches to the rolling hills of Périgord and the inviting peaks of…
Over the summer we have found the Languedoc and Dordogne areas to be very popular with overseas house buyers.
Although not immediately recognised as a wine producing region, Limousin has, from ancient times produced its own range of wines. Through periods of adverse weather and prolific diseases the production has fluctuated and at times completely disappeared but today the proud tradition of Limousin wine is alive and well.
Have you taken adequate safety precautions to secure the contents of your home? Country homes are often not as secure as they could be. Old doors with woefully inadequate locks make an ideal target for thieves. How to secure your property…
If you miss the opportunity to play cricket or are just looking to make some new friends, expats around the country have set up clubs to help make sure you are enjoying life in France.
The Franco-British Chamber of Commerce and Industry of the Dordogne and the unique Périgord Développement was set up in 2006 to provide support for the British working in the region…..
Image not found.Buying a property at auction is an exciting prospect, buying an auction property that needs total renovation promised to be an even bigger challenge for James and Vanessa HOPKINS. In the concluding artcile of this two part story, Vanessa describes the renovation work…
Global economic slowdown, inflation, exchange rate misery, failing investments… they are everywhere you look in today’s world. Yet in this tranquil corner of SW France the reverberations of these things seem less important. The region still offers the same great reasons for buying that it always has…
Glorious Aquitaine, fabled land of many rivers, once stretched from the Loire valley to the Pyrenees, that was many years ago when it was a rich, medieval dukedom, when Eleanor was its Duchess and her court attracted the greatest troubadours of the age…
Country Spirit is a new line dance group in Saint Yrieix La Perche , Haute Vienne. Founded by an English and French couple the group offers a great opportuninty to keep fit, make new friends, integrate and learn the language……………..
Image not found.If you own a property in the Lot or Correze then we may be able to help you. Our aim is to give our customers help and peace of mind with all their property care needs. House cleaning, garden care and landscaping, swimming pool maintenance, holiday changeovers, and key holding are just some of our services…
Départements:Allier (03), Cantal (15), Haute-Loire (43), Puy-de-Dôme (63)
Do you like the great outdoors and dramatic landscapes on your doorstep? Do you want to avoid expat enclaves and well-trodden tourist …
NEW v. OLD?
This is the new debate. For a long time it has been the done thing, much to the amusement of the French, for legions of Brits to visit …
Si vous pensez acheter un poêle à bois pour votre propriété française et si vous n’êtes pas sûr de la taille et du type choisir ou si votre conduit ou cheminée existante peut être utilisée, si elle a besoin d’un…
Sooner or later in France, everyone encounters ‘magret de canard’, or duck breast. These fantastic and juicy alternatives to steak come from the foie gras birds, and are available year-round. But goose magrets are usually only produced at this time of year, so get your orders in now for this very seasonal treat…
There are all sorts of places to buy in the Dordogne but the classic target for British buyers has been the dilapidated old farmhouse with exposed beams and a few hectares of land, needing wholescale restoration to make it a dream home. But there are some indications that things may be changing…
“Our very own plot”We’d been back for just two days from our exploratory trip to France before finally deciding that we had to buy the plot of land. It was only the second piece of land we had visited…
“Damp on upper floor”The town square in front of our house slopes gently down to where a stream flows underground. Under the slightly raised ground floor there is a cellar with open vents to the pavement outside…
There’s a café terrace in the sun, just inviting you to sit down. But how do you order the coffee you want? Now we’re used to ordering a latte… but Starbucks hasn’t exactly made inroads into rural France. Here’s a guide to the local terminology…
