Christmas and New Year
in the Dordogne

Christmas and New Year in the Dordogne can be a spectacular experience, mainly due to the clement weather (hopefully!), the amazing food and wine and the festive experiences taking place.

Le Mas & Le Mazet are decorated with trees, holly from our neighbouring woods and mistletoes from our own garden. The fires will be lit when you arrive, ensuring that your stay will be warm and cozy.

So what’s the weather like at Christmas? It’s very unlikely that it’ll be a white Christmas here, you’re more likely to be able to sit outside during the middle of the day and enjoy the stunning countryside. Our first Christmas we went for a walk to Montferrand, our next-door village, and by the end of it we had stripped down to t-shirts, it was so warm!

The majority of the restaurants have special menus for Christmas and New Year, and it’s wise to book in advance to avoid disappointment. If you go onto the websites of the restaurants in our list of recommendations, you’ll see what festive menus they’re offering.

There is a Christmas market in Sarlat which goes on for some weeks – there’s even a small ice-skating rink there! There is a wonderful Christmas evening market in Monpazier which we always go to. They light fires in the town square and sell ‘vin chaud’ which will keep you toasty warm.

The Dordogne Tourism Board normally publishes a list of events and markets on at Christmas, so check out their website!