Snuggled up against the hillside, Sarlat is a well-preserved medieval village with narrow cobbled streets, courtyards, turreted buildings and ivy covered walls. Sarlat is most busy on Wednesdays and Saturdays, its market days. Place de la Liberte, rue Victor Hugo and rue de la Republique fill with vendors and their colored tents. Nearby villagers and tourists fill the town, scuttling from one vendor to another sampling and buying the local products. Since this is the Dordogne (aka "land of the duck"), you can be sure to find plenty of duck at the butchers and many foie gras vendors. Other local specialties like goose, cheese, walnuts, cherries and truffles (when in season) are also in abundance, along with the normal delicacies you can find at a French outdoor food market.
Hotel de Ville and Place de la Liberte hosts market day
Country Bread Baker at the market
Cheeses from the Auvergne
Cured meats (Saucissons) varieties of duck, walnuts, porcini mushrooms, cheese and wild boar
Also popular in the region are walnuts - They're used to make walnut oil, walnut cakes, and these crunchy walnut meringue cookies
Marinated olives are always a favorite at a French food market
Local Cherries and Artichokes
The Covered Market (former St. Marie Church in the background)
Place aux Oies (Goose Square) was once the location of Sarlat's fowl market - now commemorated by the bronze geese statue
After the morning market, the town of Sarlat is a good place to wander through the many narrow alleys and picturesque buildings, ivy colored walls, and pastel-colored shutters. After your wanderings return to the Place de la Liberte for an apertif and maybe some dinner.
Church Tower of the Cathedral Saint-Sacredos and typical tiled rooftops of Dordogne
Cafe on Place de la Liberte after market hours
An evening stroll through Sarlat is also nice
An aperitif in front of Hotel de Ville at night
Market Days:
Outdoor Market Days: Wednesdays and Saturdays - 8:30am - 1:00pm
Covered Market Days: Daily inside the former Eglise Sainte Marie - 8:30am - 2:00pm
Organic Night Market: Thursday nights 6:00-10:00pm in Place 14 Juillet from June 17 to September 16
Truffle and Foie Gras Market Days: In December, January, February Saturdays from 9:00am - Noon
Festivals:
Truffle Festival: Third weekend in January
Goose Festival (Fest' Oie): Third Sunday in February
Local Produce Celebration (Journees du Terroir): May 13 and 14
Christmas Market: Last three weeks in December
Related Posts:
The Dish from France and Dordogne: Duck is the Specialty
Flaky Apple Tart - Croustade aux Pommes Inspired by Lunch at Pavillon Margaux
Sunday at the Bastille Market in Paris
Cooking Classes for the Culinary Traveler in Paris
A Morning at the Rialto Market in Venice
Recent Comments