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Lac du Tolerme
One of the regions "hidden treasures."
Located at the north-east of the Lot, near the foothills of the Massif Central, putting into service in 1990 addresses a growing demand for tourism in search of true nature.
At the heart of Ségala in a region with a pronounced relief which deploys its forest of chestnut, beech and birch, with its gorges and white water fish, its picturesque villages perched on the peaks, rich fauna and flora with rare species.
Its area of 38 hectares predisposes to activities such as dinghy sailing, windsurfing, pedal boating, rowing, swimming as well. The infrastructure presented enable the development of activities related to fishing, sporting events and gatherings.
Around the lake, walking trail developed circum-lake 5000 meters with little gradient. This route is chosen and selected "family trail" by the TRC and is the guide of the 50 themed walks for the Lot.
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Collonges-la-Rouge
Collonges-la-Rouge is a very attractive town, and very popular with visitors to the region. The first thing you will notice is the colour of the place - more or less all the houses have been constructed from the local stone, which is very red! (We did notice that some of the houses have the remnants of crepi/render on the walls - perhaps originally the stone was covered up and the town was less red?)
Aside from the individual properties, the main building of interest in the village is the 11th century Saint-Pierre church. Particularly striking - in part for its quality, and in part because it has the only white stone to be seen - in the work above the doorway.
Collonges-la-Rouge ('most beautiful villages of France') is 23 kilometres southeast of Brive in the Limousin. It is close to two other most beautiful villages - Curemonte and Turenne.
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Padirac Caves
Feeling brave? Cross the eastern border of the Dordogne region into Lot, and you will find the Gouffre de Padirac. The enormous chasm at Padirac is about 99 metres around the rim, and you will descend 75 metres to enter the cave system.
After the initial descent, you get in a boat for an eerie trip along a subterranean stream, and then pass through various underground caverns full of extraordinary rock formations. For me, this is the perfect caves.
Having experienced the caves themselves you can take a look at satans footprint, left when he was trying to evade Saint Martin!
The caves at Padirac are not far from Rocamadour and easy to combine the two in the same trip.
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Rocamadour
Rocamadour, though small, is amazing for its location, it is built on the edge of a cliff, with the river Alzou below at the bottom of the gorge. Many of the buildings are cut into the rock.
On entering the village of Rocamadour park near the chateau and pay the 2euros to walk around the ramparts to get a view of the village down below. From here walk down the Chemin de Croix, a shady walk down the hillside where you can see the Stations of the Cross as you make your way down. Alternatively there is a lift for those who need it.
The village lies along one road and is very pretty with its stone houses, the arched stone gates and view of the gorge above. Admittedly it can be very busy in August and the shops are dedicated to tourists (though there are some interesting little boutiques amongst them), but aim for the quieter months and it is still well worth a visit. |
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Figeac
Figeac is in the Lot department of the Midi-Pyrenees, about 70 kilometres east of Cahors on the River Célé and is a town that you must visit when you are in the region!
It is a beautiful small medieval town dating from the 9th century, and the town still has many houses and small palaces dating from the 13th - 16th centuries, when it was an important trade centre. These include notably the impressive town centre 'Hotel de la Monnaie'.
It is the overall feel of Figeac that you will find most attractive, rather than any one particular highlight. The old colombage houses, houses with first floor balconies, and narrow streets lined with ancient cottages and ornate carvings form a lovely ensemble.
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Saint-Cirq-Lapopie
At the top of a cliff 80 metres above the Lot River, the town is accessed through great stone gates in the fortified walls, and has the remains of three chateaux, and a fine 15th century roman-style church (four feudal dynasties lived here in the middle ages, hence all the chateaux!). The narrow cobbled streets of St Cirq Lapopie contain a lovely mixture of medieval houses - some in colombage (half-timbered) and some in stone, with small terraced gardens adding to the beauty of the place.
Below the village, next to the river, are an assortment of old mills and buildings testifying to the activity of the village in centuries gone by.
Nowadays St Cirq Lapopie is home to numerous artists and artisans, a trend started perhaps when Andre Breton made his home here and declared that he had, as a consequence, 'stopped wanting to go anywhere else".
The village lies on one of the important pilgrimage paths to Santiago de Compostelle that cross France, and also played an important role in the Albigensian crusades, the Hundred Years War and the Wars of religion.
St Cirq Lapopie is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Lot region, and should not be missed if you are in the region. As with many of the 'most beautiful villages' it is best seen early in the morning - for the better light, and for the smaller numbers of tourists bustling around.
Nearby places of interest include the prehistoric caves of Pech-Merle at Cabrerets; the chateau de Cenevieres (a beatiful renaissance chateau); and the Chateau de Larnagol. Much of the Lot Valley is also worth exploring.
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Conques
Conques ('most beautiful villages of France') is about 30 kilometres east of Figeac, 35 kilometres north of Rodez, in the Massif Central.
Conques sits on the edge of the gorge of the River Dourdou, in a beautiful setting, surrounded by mountains and forests - the approach from the south is along an especially attractive stretch of river. In the village itself, parts of the original town walls and gates survive, sealing in the narrow village streets (many are cobbled) and many fine medieval houses spread out across the hillside - almost all sem to have great views into the valley below. It really is one of the 'not to be missed' villages of France.
When you have finished looking around Conques, and the abbey, walk down to the river (there is a bridge), and along the road on the other side of the valley for good views of the whole ensemble. |
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Cahors
Cahors is well known for its gardens - especially the abandoned spaces and small private gardens that you will see as you explore. These are a clever imaginative use of the space available, and some offer the chance to see and learn of medieval plants etc. The tourist office in Cahors can give you a map indicating many of the so-called secret gardens to be found around the old town.
Note - Cahors market is held on Saturdays and Wednesdays (adjacent to the cathedral) and this is the best time to visit.
The other reason for the fame of Cahors is its wine - the local wines are highly reputed within France and internationally, especially the full-bodied red wine produced here. Head west along the Lot Valley to see the vineyards which produce the wine, and more chances to sample a little... |
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