Introduction
The area of the Lot in South West France must feel that it plays second fiddle to the better-known area of the Dordogne. The Department of the Lot boasts some of the prettiest villages, some excellent cuisine and fascinating history for you to explore. This post is designed as a ‘wet your appetite’ introduction to the area with links enabling you to research your own exploration of this little tourist gem!
This post is linked to the Eribalife Rally at Moulin du Bel-Air, so will target the area between Cahors in the south and Sarlat in the north.
A great place to start any planning of an adventure in France is always with the Local tourist offices. One of your first ports of call should be the Lot Tourism Office.
Villages and Towns
Just under 30 mins drive to the north of Moulin du Bel-Air is the medieval market town of Gourdon. where there is a market every Saturday from 07:30 – 14:00 hrs. Wander through the fortifed gate and explore the half-timbered architecture. Follow the narrow lanes that wind up to the esplanade where the castle once stood. Within in the town centre there are 7 restaurants to satisfy your needs, as well as themed gardens for you to view.
Further away to the south is Cahors, the home of the black wine, better known today as Malbec. Cahors has all the attractions that you would expect to find in a medieval town and is well worth researching before you visit. If you are looking to find local produce then maybe the Les Petits Producteurs – Saveurs du Quercy is worth a visit, why not arrange to have lunch there and sample some of the products they sell. You can easily loose your self for the a day wandering round the old town of Cahors and enjoying what it has to offer to the visitor.
To the east of the A20, the main north/south road are the villages of Rocamadour, Figeac and Saint-Cirq-Lapopie. All of these places have good reasons to visit them. Rocamadour has over a 1000 years of history and is known as the sacred village. Figeac is linked to the great Pyramids of Egypt and the eventual decoding of the hieroglyphs. Saint-Cirq-Lapopie is rated as one of Frances most prettiest villages set up above the river with commanding views of the river.
The above is just a very brief introduction to the villages and towns of the Lot. Follow the links in red to get further information.
History and Antiquities.
With many medieval towns and villages, the history of the area is very rich. It does not go back any further in time than the Gouffre de Padirac. This limestone cave system is steeped in legends and history, with the caves themselves being formed some 40 – 170 million years ago. Descend into the bowls of the earth and explore the underground river and the chambers that make this a marvel of nature.
If castles and their history are for you then you are in the right place. Not far from Moulin du Bel-Air is the Dordogne, an area that boasts over 1000 castles. Follow this link for more information.
In the Causses du Quercy National Regional Park, a UNESCO Global Geopark, there is the Pech Merle Visitor Centre and cave and the Amédée Lemozi museum. The cave hosts some of the most amazing prehistoric art made by man, some dating back over 29000 years. The museum represents in its collections more than 350,000 years of human occupation in Quercy.
If prehistory is your interest then there are also the ancient caves outside of Groudon, not far from the campsite. The Caves of Coungnac are a scheduled historic site and consist of two caves with prehistoric paintings going back of 30000 years making them the oldest figurative painting on view to the public. 24 Kilometers to the north of Moulin du Bel-Air is the Mason du Piage a museum that takes you on a unique journey that explores Neanterdal to Cryo-Magon man.
Activites
The area of the Lot is situated between two great rivers, the Dordogne and the Lot. Needless to say, there are plenty of opportunities for water sports such as canoeing, or pleasure trips along the river. The opportunities for walking in the area more than can be tackled in a short two-week stay. Likewise, there are plenty of cycling routes and companies willing to hire the cycles. We are planning a pleasure trip along the river Lot and a return walk along a towpath, as well as a cycle ride and picnic as part of the rally activities. To find out what else is on offer check out some of the links to local tourist offices and especially this page at Lot Tourism.
Wine and Gastronomy
So you have explored the towns and villages, looked into the local history, researched you outdoor activities, so what is left? Well, the area is well known for its gastronomy and wine!
All French regions have a delightful association with local food and wine, so what to expect as regional specialties? Duck is probably number one, along with foie gras pate (which undoubtedly will polarise people). Truffles in another specialty of the area, as are walnuts and we have not even started to mention the famous ‘Black Wines of Cahors’ Malbec! There are numerous books and website and other social media that is dedicated to the gastronomy of the region so trust ‘Mr google’. Below I have listed some links to help you start your exploration!
As ever I find Lot Tourism an excellent place to start.
The Cahors Tourism website. Will also so give you some detailed information.
Discover the Lot and Garonne website is well worth working your way around and exploring. It will give you a vast amount of information on all matters of local gastronomy from the best fast lunches to Michelin starred restaurants. It has a whole section dedicated to the wines of the region.
Do not forget that Trip Advisor gives you the feedback of those who have been before. SO it is always worth checking it out! This link is their Top 10 wineries and vinyards in the Lot.
The above is not meant to be a comprehensive review of the Lot region, but as earlier stated a ‘wet your appetite intended on helping you research the area. I hope I have achieved this and enabled you to put some things on your list of todos when you join us for the Eriba En France Rally at Moulin du Bel-Air in June this year.
