Hi, I’m Alexandra.
About Me
I live in the Netherlands, but I’ve been coming back to the Dordogne for more than twenty years.
It started with summer holidays near Sarlat with friends. Like many first-time visitors, I was drawn to the busy markets, the famous villages and the places that appear in every guidebook.
But each time I returned, I found myself exploring a little further.
A smaller village down a quiet road. A market I had never heard of before. A restaurant someone mentioned in passing that later became part of our regular route.
Over the years, I began to appreciate a different side of the Dordogne. Not just the places people come to see, but the places people return to. The villages that feel different in January than they do in August. The local markets that continue long after the summer visitors have gone home.
Over time, the Dordogne stopped feeling like somewhere I visited for a holiday. It became a place I genuinely missed when we were back home again.
20+ years visiting the Dordogne
Places I genuinely enjoy myself
Local finds beyond the obvious spots
Personal recommendations & inspiration
WHY I STARTED
What I Share Here
Most of what I share here comes from places we keep returning to ourselves.
Some are well known. Others are the kind of places you only discover after taking a smaller road, staying a little longer, or talking to someone local over lunch.
These days we visit as a family. Our children have their own favourite swimming spots, ice cream stops and villages they always ask to see again.
Over the years, I’ve become just as interested in everyday life here as the travel side of it. The quieter markets in September. The village shops that stay open all year. The difference between a Dordogne village in August and the same place in January.
At some point, I realised that most English-language websites about the Dordogne focus on only one part of the story.
They help you plan a holiday.
Or they help you buy property.
Or they focus on moving to France in general.
What I couldn’t find was a resource that connected all three.
That’s why I started Dordogne Travel Guide.
My goal is to help readers understand not only where to visit, but also what life in the Dordogne actually looks like if you stay longer, buy a second home, retire here, or start thinking about a permanent move.
I don’t claim to be a local resident.
What I do have is more than twenty years of returning to the Dordogne in different seasons, staying in different areas, revisiting the same villages, markets and restaurants, and gradually getting to know the region beyond the typical holiday experience.
That long-term relationship with the Dordogne shapes everything I publish here.
Notes from someone who keeps coming back.
