The French administrative department of Lot offers plenty of space, natural settings, historic places, and picturesque landscapes. With Cahors as its capital and its mild climate, Lot is a part of France that is easy to fall in love with.
Nature
Lot is situated between the rivers Dordogne and Lot, characterized by unspoiled nature and offering countless opportunities for cycling and hiking. At the edge of these valleys one can find imposing cliffs and limestone plateaus (called “Causses”) vegetated with oak trees and various types of grass. Don’t miss the vineyards of Cahors in the valley of the Lot River valley on the hills of the Quercy Blanc.
Sightseeing
Both Cahors and Figeac are cities with a rich history and are definitely worth a visit. Lot is also traversed by the Le Puy Route, the well known pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela. Moving on one will find Prayssac, a village surrounded by vineyards and dolmen tombs. Puy-L’Évêque is a beautiful town on the Lot River with a castle and houses dating from the 14th and 15th centuries. Catus has a beautiful Romanesque church built 16th century. Lherm is a characteristic medieval village with beautifully restored white limestone houses. Les Arques is an internationally known artists’ village, known for the sculptor Zadkine and his museum. Saint-Cirq-Lapopie is called the most beautiful village in the Lot valley. It lies on the point of an 80 meter cliff, nestled above the river. Luzech, a medieval village with its small castle, is situated in a peninsula surrounded by the Lot River, amidst the vineyards of the Cahors “black wine”. Montcuq is a village known for it fortress ruins and narrow streets as well its characteristic houses and arches. Not to be missed is Figeac, a beautiful town on the Célé River with its old colombage houses, houses with first floor balconies, and narrow streets lined with ancient stone buildings and ornate carvings.
Nature Park “Causses du Quercy”
The Causses du Quercy Regional Natural Park is an immense nature park, bordered to the north by the valley of the Dordogne. The park is located on a limestone plateau and is characterized by deep valleys of the Lot and Célé rivers. There are also many subterranean rivers, which created numerous caves. Some of these caves contain prehistoric paintings.
In the Gouffres, which are deep gorges, the water makes its way through narrow rock crevices. The most famous gorge is the Gouffre de Padirac, which is a cavern 103 meters below the ground. The Causses du Quercy park is also known for its variety of orchid species. Truffles can be found in the Causse de Limogne. The park offers various historical sites, such as cazelles (round stone huts) as well as pigeon towers, rock houses, and the dolmens of Pech-Laglaire.
Gastronomy and Artisan Products of Lot
When you are in the Lot, gastronomy is not far away. Local products include duck, foie gras, lamb, cheese (Rocamadour and Cabécou), safran, truffles, and nuts as well as of course the famous wines of the region.
Gastronomy and Artisan Products of Lot
In short, you will be pleasantly surprised when you allow yourself a sufficient number of days to explore this region.
