One of the pleasures of staying at Le Petit Capelier is that almost every morning of the week there is a market somewhere nearby.
From the medieval streets of Issigeac to the bastide squares of Eymet, Castillonnès and Villeréal, the markets of this corner of the Dordogne and Lot-et-Garonne are part shopping trip, part social occasion and part excuse for a very good lunch.
Here are some of our favourites, with market days, what to expect and a few ideas for making a morning of it.
Sunday — Issigeac Sunday Market
Our must-do market.
Every Sunday morning, the medieval streets of Issigeac fill with stalls selling fruit and vegetables, cheeses, charcuterie, bread, wine, flowers, crafts and regional produce. In summer, the market expands through much of the village and becomes one of the liveliest mornings of the week.
When: Sunday mornings, year-round, from around 8:30am to 12:30pm and often later in summer.
From Le Petit Capelier: Just a few minutes by car.
Our tip: Go early in summer. Buy ingredients for lunch or supper, stop for coffee in the village and take your time wandering the little streets beyond the market itself.
Tuesday — Castillonnès Market
A smaller and more traditionally local market than Issigeac, held through the heart of the handsome bastide town of Castillonnès.
Expect local produce, food, flowers and the usual mixture of French market stalls around the historic centre.
When: Tuesday mornings, approximately 8am–1pm.
From Le Petit Capelier: An easy 10-minute drive south from the house.
Our tip: This is a lovely, easy morning out. Browse the market, have coffee or lunch in the bastide and be back at Le Petit Capelier in plenty of time for an afternoon by the pool.
Wednesday & Saturday — Bergerac Markets
Bergerac has a proper market tradition. The main food markets spread around Notre-Dame and Place des Deux Conils on Wednesday and Saturday mornings, with produce from local farms alongside the usual market stalls.
The city also has smaller markets during the week, but Wednesday and Saturday are the mornings we would choose for a proper visit.
When: Wednesday and Saturday mornings, approximately 7am–1pm.
From Le Petit Capelier: Around 25–30 minutes by car.
Our tip: Make more of the journey. Visit the market first, explore old Bergerac, have lunch, walk beside the Dordogne or stop at one of the vineyards around Monbazillac on the way home.
Thursday — Eymet Market
Eymet’s Thursday morning market fills the heart of this attractive bastide town.
It has a rather different feel from Issigeac, with its broad central square, arcades, cafés and restaurants. It’s as much somewhere to spend a relaxed morning as it is somewhere to shop.
When: Thursday mornings.
From Le Petit Capelier: An easy drive southwest through the countryside.
Our tip: Don’t treat Eymet simply as somewhere to buy vegetables. Stay for coffee, wander beneath the arcades and have lunch if somewhere takes your fancy.
Saturday — Villeréal Market
Villeréal is one of the prettiest bastide towns in the area and its Saturday market gathers around the magnificent 16th-century covered halle at its centre.
This is one we’d recommend as much for the town itself as for the shopping. The combination of old stone buildings, arcades, cafés and market stalls makes it a lovely place to spend a morning.
When: Saturday mornings.
From Le Petit Capelier: A lovely drive east through the countryside.
Our tip: Take your time. Market morning followed by lunch beneath or around the arcades makes Villeréal an excellent half-day outing.
Brocantes & Les Puces du Quel
Bergerac and the surrounding villages are also excellent territory for brocantes, vide-greniers and antique hunting.
One name worth looking out for is Les Puces du Quel, alongside the regular brocantes and one-off village sales that appear throughout the year. We add the best local brocantes we find to our events calendar, so it’s worth checking what’s happening during your stay.
From Le Petit Capelier: Bergerac is around 25–30 minutes by car.
What to buy at a Dordogne market
Go hungry and don’t arrive with too rigid a shopping list.
What you’ll find changes with the seasons, but look out for strawberries, melons, tomatoes, walnuts, cheeses, duck and charcuterie, breads and pastries, honey, herbs, flowers and local wines.
The Dordogne is particularly associated with walnuts, strawberries, truffles, duck and foie gras, while around Le Petit Capelier we’re also surrounded by the vineyards of Bergerac and Monbazillac.
We think the best approach is simply to buy whatever looks particularly good that morning and decide what to cook afterwards.
Back at Le Petit Capelier, much of it can go straight onto the plancha, accompanied by good bread, a simple salad and a bottle of Bergerac wine.
Which is our favourite?
Issigeac on Sunday.
If you only visit one market during your stay, this is the one we’d choose. The medieval setting is extraordinary, the choice is enormous in summer and the whole village seems to become part of the market.
But staying at Le Petit Capelier for a week means you don’t have to choose.
There is nearly always another market tomorrow.
More things to do near Le Petit Capelier
Look out too for local fêtes such as the Fête de la Bière at Saint-Léon-d’Issigeac, concerts, marchés gourmands and village celebrations throughout the summer.
Markets are only part of what’s happening locally.
We keep our What’s On Near Issigeac & Bergerac calendar regularly updated with village fêtes, marchés gourmands, brocantes, concerts, exhibitions, food and wine events and some of the smaller local happenings that can be surprisingly difficult to discover online.
Check the calendar before your stay — or subscribe to it — and you can see what’s happening while you’re here.
Staying near Issigeac?
Le Petit Capelier is a three-bedroom Dordogne holiday house with a private 12m × 5m swimming pool, ideally placed for exploring Issigeac, Bergerac, Eymet and the surrounding markets and villages.
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