France: Deciphering The Pleasures of the Lot River Valley Takes Much Less Exertion

Its location five hours south of Paris unfortunately makes tourists overlook such quaint medieval villages as Saint-Cirq Lapopie and Figeac. This neglect results in a boon for astute travelers, though, as the rural Lot Valley is inexpensive and claims many fine hotels, restaurants, and wines.

Cahors makes an ideal starting place for exploring this region, as trains from Paris stop right in town. One of Cahors’s loveliest attractions remains the Château Mercuès, a grand 15th century hotel that once functioned as a mansion and provides access to a breathtaking view of the Lot River below. Much of the best wine in southern France is cultivated in nearby Luzech, where a local cooperative regularly holds tastings. Not too far down the winding road lies Saint-Cirq Lapopie, a remote village with a mere 200 inhabitants and some of the best examples of Renaissance architecture in all of France. Even notoriously quarrelsome Surrealist writer André Breton loved living here.

If you want to see what literally lies beneath all this edenic bliss, visit the Pech-Merle cave in nearby Cabrerets. The paintings of animals and handprints discovered here in 1922 are still open to guests, though reservations are advisable even in this small town; due to the paintings’ age and sensitivity, a limited number of people may view them each day. In Figeac beside the Célé River, residents trace their origins and architecture to the 8th century. Like Cabrerets, it also can claim a contribution to an important archaeological discovery; the Rosetta Stone may never have been deciphered without Jean-François Champollion, a Figeac native. Thankfully, deciphering the pleasures of the Lot Valley takes much less exertion.