Christmas in Sarlat: The Dordogne’s Most Popular Market Where Medieval Magic Meets Festive Fun

Imagine spending Christmas in a place where the streets still glow under vintage gas lamps, and the architecture hasn’t changed in 600 years. Now add in over 70 wooden chalets selling everything from handmade soaps to local truffles, a massive ice rink in the town square, and the scent of mulled wine drifting through narrow cobblestone lanes.

That’s Christmas in Sarlat. It’s like stepping back in time to a bygone era, but with a twist. Every year, the town picks a different country to celebrate, transforming the market into something completely unexpected. Suddenly, you’re experiencing Christmas through a whole new lens while standing in one of France’s most perfectly preserved medieval towns.

This year? Sarlat is going tropical. The 2025 theme celebrates France’s overseas territories.

The Sarlat Christmas Market in 2025

2025 Dates: The market runs from December 3rd to 31st

Since the Sarlat Christmas market started, the town has taken visitors on a world tour without anyone needing to leave the Dordogne. One year, it was Scandinavia with choucroute and vodka. Then Russia. Then the UK, with fish and chips. As a Brit, I felt very at home, although fish and chips aren’t particularly Christmassy. Italy came next, and now we’re heading to the islands.

The 2025 theme celebrates France’s overseas territories, including Martinique, Guadeloupe, Réunion, and French Polynesia. Caribbean rhythms in a medieval square. Tropical treats next to Périgord truffles. Rum punch alongside walnut wine.

On December 6th at 6 pm, there’s an opening concert by La Compagnie Créole on Place de la Liberté, playing fun Caribbean party music to announce the arrival of Santa.

The 70 chalets are spread across Place de la Grande Rigaudie and Place du 14 Juillet. You’ll find the usual Christmas market suspects like handmade jewelry, scented candles, and local author books, but also island artisan crafts and specialties you won’t see at other markets.

There’s even a competition running where you can win a round-trip flight to Fort de France if you find the secret word during your visit. Free holiday to Martinique? Not a bad incentive to pay attention.

The Gourmet Side of Christmas in Sarlat

If you know anything about Sarlat, you know it takes food seriously. The Christmas market is no exception.

The Place Gourmande is where you want to end up when hunger strikes. This dedicated food area has 13 chalets serving up everything the Périgord is famous for. Foie gras, naturally. Black truffles, if you’re feeling flush. Duck confit, local cheeses, walnut products, and craft beers from the region.

This year, expect tropical additions to the menu. Island specialties, rum-based drinks, and treats you’d normally find in Fort de France sitting alongside roasted chestnuts and mulled wine. 

The Place Gourmande stays open late. Until 11 pm on weekends and every evening during school holidays. The main market chalets open at 10 am and close at 8 pm most days, 10 pm on Fridays and Saturdays. Early closing at 6 pm on December 24th and 31st. Closed entirely on Christmas Day.

Ice Skating Under Medieval Skies

The ice rink sits right in the middle of Place de la Grande Rigaudie, surrounded by those honey colored medieval buildings that make Sarlat so photogenic. There are actually two rinks. The main one covers 300 square meters and is big enough that you won’t spend the entire time dodging other skaters. The baby rink is set up for little ones, complete with penguin helper stakes they can hold onto while they figure out how feet work on ice.

Sessions cost €5 per hour, or €1 if you’re under 5. You can rent skates or bring your own if you’re the type who travels with ice skates.

Outside school holidays, the rink opens afternoons and evenings. Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday from 5 pm to 7:30 pm. Wednesdays from 2 pm to 7:30 pm. Fridays until 8 pm. Saturdays all day from 10 am to 12 pm, then 2 pm to 7:30 pm. Sundays from 2 pm to 8 pm.

During school holidays, they extend the hours so you can skate in the mornings too.

Saturday nights, they hold dancefloor evenings where you skate to music, which costs €7 if you’re over 10. Four of these are scheduled throughout December, so if you’ve ever wanted to skate under the stars and imagine you’ve been transported back to the 12th century, your dream can become a reality.

For the Kids (and Kid at Heart)

Santa sets up shop on Place du 14 Juillet in his own little village, complete with a toy workshop where kids can see how Christmas magic happens. He’s there every weekend and on Wednesdays, plus daily during school holidays, right up until he has to leave for his actual job on December 24th.

There’s a letterbox in the market where kids can drop off their letters to Santa, and they get delivered to the Christmas post office. This is a real post office that answers every letter sent to Santa in France. It’s a fabulous French Christmas tradition that brings the festive season alive for the little ones.

The little Christmas train runs tours through the illuminated streets in both French and English.  During school holidays, the toy library runs free workshops. DIY crafts, activities, a circuit of small cars, and shows throughout the day. 

The retro photo chalet lets you dress up in period costumes and take home a photo that looks like it was shot 100 years ago. Adults enjoy this more than they’d like to admit.

Practical Information

The Sarlat Christmas market runs from December 3rd to 31st, 2025. It’s closed on Christmas Day and shuts early at 6 pm on December 24th and 31st.

You’ll find the main action on Place de la Grande Rigaudie and Place du 14 Juillet in the center of the old town. Sarlat sits in the heart of the Dordogne, about 500km from Paris. Bergerac airport is 90 minutes away, or you can drive from Bordeaux in just over two hours.

For where to stay and what else to do in Sarlat, I’ve got a full guide that covers accommodation, restaurants, and all the main attractions.

If you’re making a Christmas market tour of it, Périgueux is about an hour and fifteen minutes away, with over 80 chalets. Domme is only 20 minutes and perfect for families. Bergerac is another option at an hour and fifteen minutes, known for its gourmet stalls and wine focus.

Sarlat’s Hollywood Moment

Sarlat grew around a Benedictine abbey in the 9th century, got rich during the Middle Ages, survived the Hundred Years War mostly intact, and then dodged the worst of the French Revolution.

Then, in the 1960s, André Malraux passed laws to restore and protect historic buildings, such as Sarlat, which is why you can walk these streets today and see exactly what life looked like 500 years ago.

That’s when Sarlat caught the attention of Hollywood.

Ridley Scott filmed The Last Duel here in 2021. The 1998 version of Les Misérables with Gérard Depardieu used Sarlat’s streets as a backdrop. And if you’ve ever watched Ever After with Drew Barrymore, you’ve seen Sarlat.

Filmmakers love it because they don’t need to build sets or add CGI. The town does all the work. Those narrow cobblestone lanes, the golden stone facades, the towers and archways, they’re all real, and they’re all still standing exactly as they were.

The Medieval Magic Factor

Sarlat still lights its streets with gas lamps at night. Not replicas or electric versions designed to look old. Actual gas lamps that have been doing this job for generations.

At Christmas, when they add festive lights and decorations to buildings that haven’t changed in 600 years, it adds another dimension to this gorgeous town. It feels like you’ve traveled through time and stumbled into a different century.

Summer in Sarlat is busy. Tourists pack the streets, and restaurants fill up fast. December is not the same; however, over 250,000 people flock there every Christmas to be part of the medieval magic.