Visiting Market in Sarlat

The market area is fairly flat, as I recall, and quite compact. Just south of town, there is a parking lot called Rigaudie (according to Google Maps) that, unless it's full, would be quite handy for the market. There is street parking, as well, of course, none of it free.

See the map below, I put a markets section and I specified the days when they take place. You will find some of them near Plazac.

For your information, the Sarlat market is just one market among many others, so if you do not intend to meet a specific seller at a specific time you can just as easily go to another market, you will have fewer tourists, the products are the same, and you will find a parking space easily (and free!)

https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid=1OdPOg8AgsNn0Jlv1cNHkujaWv9p_Jpc&usp=sharing

Thanks for the feedback (and the link to the well-populated Google Map). This afternoon I read in a trip report from fall 2024 that the Sunday market in Saint-Cyprien has many of the same vendors as the Saturday Sarlat market. I will explore that option as well (a bit further from our villa perhaps more accessible, less crowed?). We are interested in village markets because (1) we love produce, flowers, meats and other things on offer for their beauty as well as tastiness and (2) for provisions for our evening meals at home (cheese, wine, bread, the marvelous rotisserie chicken and potatoes, etc) after a hearty lunch in the village. What is your favorite village markets?

I just saw that the Felibree will be in Sarlat this year. It's in July, but they typically leave the decorations up for many months afterward. We were in St. Cyprien (which hosted in 2018) in September, and there were still loads of strands of artificial flowers all over the city. Well worth seeing, especially in an already pretty town like Sarlat. Even if you don't go on Market Day.

This afternoon I read in a trip report from fall 2024 that the Sunday
market in Saint-Cyprien has many of the same vendors as the Saturday
Sarlat

Of course, the vendors who have a stall at the Sarlat market on Saturday are not from Sarlat, they tour the markets in the region and you will find them in other villages / towns on other days of the week. If they were only in Sarlat on Saturdays they would go bankrupt in a few weeks :(

In the map I also put a local products section. Many of them in this list (cheese producers, duck farmers, traditional bakers, etc.) tour the markets to sell their products.

For provisions for your evening meals at home, buy duck confits (they are in cans) and eat them with Sarladaise potatoes.

You just have to heat the duck breasts in the oven for 30 minutes and keep the duck fat in the can to use it in the recipe for Sarladaise potatoes. NEVER use butter or oil or you will be banned from the Dordogne for 7 years and 7 days!

Et voilà!

https://thegoodlifefrance.com/sarlat-potatoes-pommes-de-terres-sarladaises/

This afternoon I read in a trip report from fall 2024 that the Sunday
market in Saint-Cyprien has many of the same vendors as the Saturday
Sarlat market. I will explore that option as well

That might have been my Trip Report. It was a cheese vendor who told us that it's like a travelling roadshow. We got to St Cyprien early on Sunday and had no issues with parking. There were plenty of public lots. I don't think it was a pay lot but I can't recall. The entire market was along one flat street.

Allan - yes, it was your trip report that I mentioned and thank you for all the great information.
Liz

JoLui
Thank you for the further information. I have never encountered duck confit in cans but tonight we are having duck leg confit from the US purveyor D’Artagnan and I intend to roast the potatoes in the rendered duck fat. We would be delighted to eat confit every night in the Dordogne, along with local cheeses, etc.
I am a novice at Google Maps but your creation is more than enough incentive to become more proficient (old dogs can learn new tricks).
Liz

eaorelup,
I have ordered duck confit from a company in San Francisco that imports French products, but I can't recall the name. There are several to be found on google, however. In case you latch onto some more, it is used in one of the most marvelous dishes in the world, cassoulet. Better known in Carcassonne and Toulouse, but sometimes found in restaurants in the Lot/Dordogne region, if you can find it, try it. One of my life goals is to make one as good as the first one I had in Carcassonne in 2001. I am still working on it, gradually improving, but maybe the air in California doesn't have the right atmosphere for a perfect cassoulet. (Or maybe it is the beans!)

St Cyprien Market had the same vendors as the Sarlat one. I’ve been to both. When renting a Saturday to Saturday gite, the St Cyprien market is superior because it is in Sunday and therefore you can stock up for your week in the region.

In case your gite or AirBnB doesn't have an oven, French supermarkets will sell you vacuum-packed cooked potatoes, which you can then sauté in your duck fat. I went to a huge E.Leclerc outside Sarlat and nearly peed my pants when I saw the entire aisle of rosé, which is my favorite wine. Also, I drove there in a rosé-colored Fiat 500. I know this comment is not helpful, just remembering.

Blockquote rosé-colored Fiat 500 ❤️

Now I have to go back to the car rental service and request a rosé colored vehicle!

It has houndstooth interior. I wish we could post photos here.

I wish we could post photos here.

It seems that only 500 were produced. You were lucky to drive one!

https://www.caradisiac.com/Fiat-500-Pink-maintenant-en-version-cabriolet-39776.htm