Traveling in the Lot

[Pauline]

Last May we spent one night in the Lot on our way to the Dordogne. We flew into Toulouse, spent the night in St Cirq and the next day visited Peche Merle (prehistoric cave art - fantastic), then wandered around St Cirq and had lunch. An odd village - beautiful, but very touristy, like the main Dordogne towns.

I liked the Lot but would like to get recommendations of places to stay where the tourism is not so "over done", where we can do some walking/hiking and see interesting historic sites and towns.

 

[Pauline]

Photo of St Cirq. There are several St Cirqs in France. This one is St Cirq la Popie. On the SlowTrav forums one of the members called herself St Cirq, which was probably the main reason I wanted to visit this town. Here is a photo.

 

[Dana]

Last year the French themselves voted St-Cirq-la-Popie as their favourite village...so chock-a-block in summer, but rather sweet around around Easter and from mid September on, but dead as a door nail in winter!

 

[Ann]

The St Cirq you're talking about, Pauline, is from the St. Cirq near Le Bugue, in the Dordogne.

 

[Roz]

We visited St.-Cirq-la-Popie in late October 2010, and it was wonderfully uncrowded.

We stayed in the little town of Frayssinet-le-Gelat in this house, which was great. That's not far from Puy-l'Eveque, where Dana lives. Although we were there off-season, of course, I think that area gets fewer tourists than the Dordogne.

Last June we stayed just outside Monpazier, which is not far away in the other direction. It is in the Dordogne, but just over the border from the Lot. It is somewhat touristy, but not nearly so much as the towns along the Dordogne River. Actually a large number of the non-French people in that region seemed to be retired Brits. We aren't hikers, but I think that whole area around there would be great for hiking, and it's full of fascinating places to visit.

 

[Kathy]

I've been in the Lot a couple of times and like it very much. In 2004 (during our long trip), we stayed just over the border in Turenne in the Corrèze. We made a couple of day trips into the Lot to visit Martel, Carennac, Rocamadour, and the Gouffre de Padirac.

The in 2009 we did a two-week self-guided walking trip in the Dordogne and the Lot. The first week was in the Dordogne and then we crossed over the border in the woods and walked the second week in the Lot. This was in late June 2009 and there was a terrible heat wave. We saw almost no other walkers, but there was some good walking in both areas. (Not as good as in Provence though.) The walk in and out of Rocamadour was really incredible... some spectacular scenery. I know some are negative about the crowds in Rocamadour, but it really is beautiful and I liked spending one night there and hiking up and out in the morning.

We stayed in Souillac, Calès, Rocamadour, Saint Sozy, Padirac, Carennac, and Bretenoux on this part of the walk. I especially liked the villages of Loubressac and Autoire that we walked through on our last day... beautiful architecture, broad views, lots of flowers at that time of year. I'd love to return to this area.

In 2012, with my daughter and friend, I had a chance to detour back through the Lot on a meandering day of driving between the Dordogne and the Tarn. We took back roads and stopped by Rocamadour, just for the view, strolled around Loubressac and then visited Autoire for lunch. It was fun to re-visit some of the places we had passed through on the walk. We also stopped in St.-Cirq-la-Popie for an hour or so. It was early August and very crowded; we had to take a shuttle bus up from a parking lot at the bottom of the hill up to the village, though we did walk down. I'm glad to have seen it.

Kathy

 

[Dana]

We visited St.-Cirq-la-Popie in late October 2010, and it was wonderfully uncrowded.

We stayed in the little town of Frayssinet-le-Gelat in this house, which was great. That's not far from Puy-l'Eveque, where Dana lives. Although we were there off-season, of course, I think that area gets fewer tourists than the Dordogne.

Last June we stayed just outside Monpazier, which is not far away in the other direction. It is in the Dordogne, but just over the border from the Lot. It is somewhat touristy, but not nearly so much as the towns along the Dordogne River. Actually a large number of the non-French people in that region seemed to be retired Brits. We aren't hikers, but I think that whole area around there would be great for hiking, and it's full of fascinating places to visit.

True, the crowds thin dramatically once you get away from the Dordogne valley - with the exception of St-Cirq-la-Popie, the grotte de Pech Merle and Cahors. The scenery isn't quite as dramatic, but there plenty of vineyards for trying 'the original Malbec' as the local consortium is trying to promote vin de Cahors, a bit peeved that Argentina has been stealing their thunder, and there are many villages and landscapes that really haven't changed much since the Middle Ages. But if you don't own a vineyard or a duck farm, there isn't a lot in the way of work, so many of the houses have been sold to retired/self employed Brits, Dutch and Belgians and even a few Americans, although most are the six month minus one day kind for tax reasons.

 

[Dana]

I've been in the Lot a couple of times and like it very much. In 2004 (during our long trip), we stayed just over the border in Turenne in the Corrèze. We made a couple of day trips into the Lot to visit Martel, Carennac, Rocamadour, and the Gouffre de Padirac.

The in 2009 we did a two-week self-guided walking trip in the Dordogne and the Lot. The first week was in the Dordogne and then we crossed over the border in the woods and walked the second week in the Lot. This was in late June 2009 and there was a terrible heat wave. We saw almost no other walkers, but there was some good walking in both areas. (Not as good as in Provence though.) The walk in and out of Rocamadour was really incredible... some spectacular scenery. I know some are negative about the crowds in Rocamadour, but it really is beautiful and I liked spending one night there and hiking up and out in the morning.

View attachment 41

We stayed in Souillac, Calès, Rocamadour, Saint Sozy, Padirac, Carennac, and Bretenoux on this part of the walk. I especially liked the villages of Loubressac and Autoire that we walked through on our last day... beautiful architecture, broad views, lots of flowers at that time of year. I'd love to return to this area.

View attachment 42

In 2012, with my daughter and friend, I had a chance to detour back through the Lot on a meandering day of driving between the Dordogne and the Tarn. We took back roads and stopped by Rocamadour, just for the view, strolled around Loubressac and then visited Autoire for lunch. It was fun to re-visit some of the places we had passed through on the walk. We also stopped in St.-Cirq-la-Popie for an hour or so. It was early August and very crowded; we had to take a shuttle bus up from a parking lot at the bottom of the hill up to the village, though we did walk down. I'm glad to have seen it.

Kathy

Great pictures, Kathy! And I remember the heat wave- for a few days the Lot was the hottest place in Europe. I love Loubressac and Autoire as well—it's a lovely corner of the department, and Martel and Carennac. And Rocamadour is breathtaking...especially from above or below, although I confess we long ago reached the point of just giving our visitors the car keys and a map!

 

[Pauline]

The St Cirq you're talking about, Pauline, is from the St. Cirq near Le Bugue, in the Dordogne.

Really? I must go look up her SlowTrav articles! And look up a map! I don't remember why I thought it was this st cirq.

 

[Pauline]

Thanks for all the info. I think we would like this area.

 

[Roz]

... The scenery isn't quite as dramatic, but there are plenty of vineyards for trying 'the original Malbec' as the local consortium is trying to promote vin de Cahors, ...

Here is a really good book about winemakers in the area: Families of the Vine: Seasons Among the Winemakers of Southwest France by Michael Sanders. He also wrote From Here You Can't See Paris, about La Récréation, the little restaurant in Les Arques, also in the Lot. It's now under new ownership since his book was written, but I hear that it's still pretty good.

- Roz

 

[Ann]

...but I hear that it's still pretty good.

- Roz

We went back in October, Roz, when we were staying in La Roque-Gageac, and La Récréation was still excellent. I think the prix fixe lunch menu was about 36€, with 4 or 5 choices per course, but it was still a good value given the quality of the cooking.

We stayed here back in 2003, near Bretenoux and St. Céré in the northern Lot, pretty much due east of Sarlat. Great location for hiking and history, with beautiful scenery, delightful small towns and villages, and even a few castles! The Richards' web site, BTW, is one of the best I've ever seen for vacation rentals, with good photos and lots of info about the house, the specific location, and the general region.

 

[Dana]

We went back in October, Roz, when we were staying in La Roque-Gageac, and La Récréation was still excellent. I think the prix fixe lunch menu was about 36€, with 4 or 5 choices per course, but it was still a good value given the quality of the cooking.

Yes, agree with Ann, it's still good—we were just there a couple of Sundays ago. It's best to go for lunch so you can have a wander around Les Arques before or after, which has one of the Lot's best Romanesque churches and the Zadkine museum and the little church of St-André with its wall paintings, although these are currently under restoration.

 

[Ann]

Here is a really good book about winemakers in the area: Families of the Vine: Seasons Among the Winemakers of Southwest France by Michael Sanders. He also wrote From Here You Can't See Paris, about La Récréation, the little restaurant in Les Arques, also in the Lot. It's now under new ownership since his book was written, but I hear that it's still pretty good.

- Roz

Thanks, Roz -- just picked up Families of the Vine from our local library. I think Paul will enjoy it too, since Cahors is one of his favorite wines.

 

[Dana]

Some friends own this rather lovely secluded farmhouse not far from us in the Lot, which they rent out in summer and just had an August cancellation in case anyone is interested: http://www.lesplaces.com/

 

[Parigi]

Really? I must go look up her SlowTrav articles! And look up a map! I don't remember why I thought it was this st cirq.

Pauline is rightThe photo shown is indeed St Cirq Lapopie in the Lot, nowehre near Le bugue. Is there another St Cirq near La Bugue ? I go to both areas nearly everywhere, but am not aware of a St Cirq near Le Bugue.The Lot is my favorite area of France. I have stayed several years in Loubressac, and many may times in and around St Cirq, and in the beautiful valley town on the Célé river Marcilhac sur Célé. I love the feeling of going on that riverside drive along the Lot toward St Cirq, after leaving Cahors. The quiet, the beauty, the unchanged riverside charm just make me breathe differently immediately. No wonder many period movies are made in the area.

 

[jonathan]

I vaguely remember a discussion on ST about St Cirq's location - I've just looked it up, and it was exactly 10 years ago! Here's what I said there, in response to a query about SC (the person's) location:

Mellen (St Cirq) actually names herself after one of the other St Cirqs (there are as many as 5 in the index of my French road atlas!): she has a house in the tiny village of St Cirq, near Les Eyzies, about 25km W of Sarlat. She certainly knows the sites, sights, markets and restaurants up there (we had some really good advice from her last year when we were planning a holiday in the Dordogne).

 

[Pauline]

We stayed near Les Eyzies on that trip (we were in Saint Cyprien) and we visited Les Eyzies to see their incredible archaeological museum. I loved that area. Didn't Mellen rent her house out as a vacation rental too? I am going to dig up her email and contact her.

Is she still on the ST forums? She wrote several articles for the site back then. Thanks for figuring this out Jonathan!

 

[Ann]

I haven't seen Mellen posting on Fodor's for a while. BTW, as I noted above, her St. Cirq, with a population of about 100, is a few km almost due east of Le Bugue, which she considers her "home town." Her email is, or was, StCirq at aol dot com. No wonder you hadn't heard of it, Parigi!

 

[Kathy]

I saw her post on Fodors a while back that she was selling that house...