Rich in culture and history, a haven for fine wine and good food, and a thriving international expat community – it’s no wonder the Dordogne keeps ticking the boxes for buyers looking for property in France
A long-time favourite with the British, the Dordogne continues to charm and attract tourists and property buyers from all over the world. This year it is one of Home Hunts’ hottest locations in South West France, as shown in INSIDE FRANCE, a ten-page property insights brochure designed to help buyers find the best locations for investment.
Lonely Planet’s favourite place in France
The Dordogne has also scored highly with the Lonely Planet this year and was recently given the number four spot in its “top places to visit in Europe”. This has, by default, also made the Dordogne Lonely Planet’s top place to visit in France.
Beating the glorious coastal towns and perched villages of Provence, the glamorous resorts of the Côte d’Azur and the all the romance and culture of Paris, the Dordogne is in favour like never before. But what is it about this area that makes people want to buy property in the Dordogne and keep coming back for more?
“Nowhere does French art de vivre (art of living) quite like the Dordogne,” reports Lonely Planet. “This quiet Garden of Eden is stitched from dreamy châteaux, medieval towns and walnut groves; gourmet village bistros and Saturday-morning food markets, where sweet Gariguette strawberries and seasonal black truffles are as common as muck. For travellers following the increasingly hip ‘local produce, homemade’ mantra, this foodie region – sans the crowds of Provence and 100% au naturel – has never been so alluring.”
A foodie fest
Creamy chestnuts, melt-in-the-mouth duck “confit”, “cèpe” mushrooms and black truffles – which are known as black diamonds and considered to be one of France’s most luxurious products – all these and more make up part of foodie life in the Dordogne. With an abundance of excellent restaurants throughout the department, sampling these flavours in local recipes makes for spectacular wining and dining.
In terms of wine, whether you’re into wine tours, private wine tasting or simply buying from your local domaine, the choice is tremendous. With around 1,200 wine growers and vines spread across more than 30,000 acres of land, the selection of red, white and rosé wines in the Bergerac area alone is impressive.
From sweet desert wines in Monbazillac to soft reds from the Côtes de Bergerac “appellation”, enjoying fine wine and good food is one of the biggest reasons that people want to buy property in the Dordogne.
A home from home
Home Hunts has found that one of the major reasons buyers choose to invest in the Dordogne is the vibrant international expat community. For those Brits more into fish and chips than foie gras, the Dordogne is a place where expats can enjoy their home comforts as well as the local specialities. This is a choice that is not on offer everywhere in rural France and why more than half of the country’s expats choose to buy property in the Dordogne.
Popular locations to buy property include Bergerac, a pretty market town close with an airport that connects to London, Amsterdam, Edinburgh and many more destinations. Domme, a fortified hilltop town in the heart of the Périgord Noir, offers beautiful 360-degree views of the Dordogne, and Sarlat, just ten kilometres away, is the renowned capital of the department offering some of the region’s best-preserved medieval architecture.
To find more Dordogne hotspots and to search for property for sale in the Dordogne, visit www.home-hunts.com. To speak to a Home Hunts consultant about your specific property needs, call +33 (0)970 44 66 43.
