de Belvès is quite interesting in the context of your search around Périgueux. It offers something very different from a Périgueux suburb: a small, historic hill town with a genuine centre and services, surrounded by the countryside of the Périgord Noir.
What is Pays de Belvès?
Pays de Belvès is in southern Dordogne, in the arrondissement of Sarlat-la-Canéda. The present commune includes the historic town of Belvès, a medieval settlement overlooking the Nauze valley.
It is small: 1,298 inhabitants in 2023, with 654 households. Interestingly, there are 1,102 dwellings, of which about 40% are second homes. The population is relatively old: roughly 41% is 65 or over.
That last point matters if you are considering living there: Belvès isn't simply a tourist village that empties completely outside summer. There is a substantial permanent population, although it is noticeably quieter in winter.
The town itself
Belvès is attractive architecturally. You get narrow medieval streets, stone houses, covered market areas and views over the surrounding countryside. Beneath the town are the unusual Les Troglos de Belvès, medieval underground dwellings that are one of the local attractions.
There is also the Marché de Belvès, including the traditional Saturday morning market. This contributes quite a lot to the feeling that Belvès remains a functioning little town rather than just a collection of restored houses.
Can you actually live there year-round?
This is where I think Belvès compares favourably with some of the beautiful but very small villages we've discussed.
INSEE records 3 grocery/small food shops, 2 bakeries, a pharmacy, 3 GPs, 2 dentists, 5 physiotherapists and 8 nurses. There is also a primary school, collège, library, petrol station and EV charging point.
For example, there's a SPAR for everyday groceries and a Eureka Brico Belves. You therefore don't have to drive elsewhere for every small purchase.
Restaurants are surprisingly well represented for a town of this size. Among the well-reviewed options are L'Echappée, Le Parfum des Mets and La Table du Boudoir.
The major advantage: location in the Périgord Noir
Belvès puts you in an exceptionally attractive part of Dordogne. Sarlat, the Dordogne valley, Castelnaud, Beynac and Les Eyzies are all within the broader area. For example, Château des Milandes is relatively nearby.
The countryside immediately around Belvès is rolling and wooded, with considerably more of a Périgord rural landscape feeling than you get around the outskirts of Périgueux.
But compared with Périgueux...
This is the important consideration for you.
Belvès would be much more attractive if your priority is charm, countryside, historic architecture and village/town life. Périgueux is considerably better if your priorities are medical services, shopping, restaurants, cultural activities and easy transport.
Belvès has basic medical services, but anything specialised means travelling. Likewise, although everyday shopping is available locally, major shopping requires a car.
The population statistics also reveal a potential downside: the population declined by an average 1.5% per year between 2017 and 2023, although migration itself was slightly positive.
One point I particularly like for your house search
If you want a house with garden but don't want to be isolated, I would look at properties either in Belvès itself or within perhaps 1–3 km of the centre, rather than an isolated country property 10–15 km away.
That would give you the Périgord countryside while still allowing you to go into town for bread, pharmacy, café, restaurant and market. In my view, that is a much better proposition than some of the very small villages around Périgueux where virtually everything requires the car.
For your particular comparison, I would put it roughly like this:
Pays de Belvès Périgueux
Historic charm ★★★★★ ★★★★
Countryside ★★★★★ ★★★
Restaurants/local life ★★★ ★★★★★
Everyday services ★★★ ★★★★★
Medical facilities ★★ ★★★★★
Shopping ★★ ★★★★★
Walkable centre ★★★★ ★★★★★
Need for a car High Moderate
Houses with garden Good possibilities More expensive/limited centrally
Year-round activity ★★★ ★★★★★
Tourist appeal ★★★★★ ★★★★
I would definitely keep Pays de Belvès on your list, but as an alternative lifestyle to Périgueux rather than as a suburb of Périgueux. The key question is whether it is too far from Périgueux for your needs.
If you'd like, I can next compare Pays de Belvès, Périgueux, Sarlat and perhaps Saint-Cyprien specifically as places to live year-round, including distance/time to Périgueux, hospitals, supermarkets, restaurants, property prices and houses currently for sale under €350,000.