Department the Lot: The area and nature
The Lot is also often called Quercy, which means in Gaelic: "People who live at the beautiful river". The department is named after the river Lot, which crosses the area from east to west. In the north the landscape is characterized by rocky limestone plateaus (Les Causses). From the plateaus you have great views. If you drive south on the A20 from Brive, you have some fantastic views. The landscape is rugged and sometimes wild. The Parc Naturel Régional des Causses du Quercy is a vast nature reserve. The separation between the meadows and forests is characterized by old stone walls, built hundreds of years ago. There are also many stone huts of refuge for former sherperds that are called Cazelle or Gariotte. The south of the Lot is less rugged and less desolate. There are many orchards, vineyards and fields. This area looks a bit like Tuscany, with its hilly landscape and houses made of white limestone.
Climate
You are in southern France at the edge of the Massif Central. Sun and heat in summer, mild winters and lots of sunshine and pleasant temperatures in spring and autumn.
Capital
The capital of the Lot is Cahors, a city built on a peninsula in the river Lot, surrounded by high rocky hills. You can find many details below if you click on Cahors.
Beautiful places
Prayssac is a small town, surrounded by vineyards with some megaliths (dolmens). Puy-l'Évêque is a beautiful town at the Lot with houses from the 14th and 15th centuries and a castle. Catus has a beautiful Romanesque church from the 16th century. Lherm is a typical medieval village with beautifully restored houses of white limestone. Les Arques is an internationally renowned artists' village, famous due to the sculptor Zadkine and its museum. Saint-Cirq Lapopie is the most beautiful village in the valley of the Lot. It lies on the tip of a cliff 80 meters high above the River. Luzech is an old town with a castle, situated like a peninsula in the River Lot, surrounded by vineyards of the dark Cahors wine. Montcuq is a village with a ruined castle and narrow streets with typical houses and arches. Figeac, a pretty town at the river Célé.
Tourist sites (details below the map)
Rocamadour, the Gouffre Padirac, Château de Bonaguil, Grotte Roland.
 Beautiful place |  Beautiful city |  Cave |
 Castle |
 | S93. Saint-Cirq Lapopie, Saint-Cirq Lapopie Beautiful place The village of Saint-Cirq Lapopie is perched on a cliff 100 m (330 ft) above the river and is one of the major beauty spots of the Lot valley. Saint-Cirq Lapopie is dominated by a fortress made up of a number of castles and towers. |
 | V26. Cahors, Cahors Beautiful city Cahors is the capital of the Lot. The town lies in a meander of the river Lot and is almost completely surrounded by water. Today the city is known as the center of the famous AOC Cahors wine and as a tourist attraction. |
 | V27. Figeac, Figeac Beautiful city Figeac is a medieval town with about 10,000 inhabitants, the second largest municipality after Cahors in the Lot. A relatively large proportion of the old buildings has been preserved, the city has many ancient monuments. Figeac is located on the Célé River |
 | G28. Gouffre de Padirac, Padirac Cave Gouffre de Padirac is a natural cavity of 75 m deep. Via elevators or stairs down you can descend and after a walk of 500m you will arrive at an underground river. A spectacular boat ride takes you to a large cave. |
 | G31. Grottes de Cougnac, Payrignac Cave 3 Km north of Gourdon you will find the caves of Cougnac with prehistoric paintings. Along an underground river there are three halls with lots of stalagtites. |
 | G40. Grotte de Pech Merle, Cabrerets Cave The Pech Merle cave is situated close to the village of Cabrerets. Within ten kilometres around Pech Merle can be found a dozen other caves with wall paintings. They are not open to the public. |
 | S92. Rocamadour, Rocamadour Beautiful place Rocamadour is built on a rock in the middle of the Causse de Gramat. This is a vast slate plateau and part of the Causse du Quercy. The city is the most visited pilgrimage site after Lourdes in France. |
 | V95. Gourdon, Gourdon Beautiful city Gourdon and surroundings are nice for walking, biking and car excursions.Gourdon has all shops, supermarkets and medical care. Gourdon is the capital of the Bouriane. |
 | S96. Puy l'Eveque, Puy l'Eveque Beautiful place Puy-l'Evêque is one of the prettiest villages in the Lot and has 2200 inhabitants, a number of restaurants and cafés. The area offers peace and space. Nature is impressing with many forests and hills and even rocky areas. |
 | S97. Martel, Martel Beautiful place Martel, the town of seven towers and marvellous architecture. Martel is a medieval town in the Lot with cafés, restaurants and many cultural activities in the summer. Full banking services and shops are available in either Martel or Vayrac. |
 | G154. Les Grottes de Lacave, Lacave Cave Come and discover11 rooms of an astonishing beauty. Access to the caves with an electric train. The lake's largest room of 2000m2 and the famous Backlights room. The tour takes 1 hour and 20 minutes. |
 | G156. Les Grottes de Presque, Saint Céré Cave Discovered in 1825 and open to the public in 1922. Beside the concretions, that cover the walls, the cave also shows many stalagmite pillars, from 8 to 10 m, some slender, others bulky, unique in the South-West of France. |
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 | G213. Grotte de Roland, Montcuq Cave La Grotte de Roland consists of a path of 410 m, which allows you to discover an amazing world: the life of the cave bear, who staid here frequently over 20,000 years ago. |
 | C237. Château de Castelnau, Bretenoux Castle Castelnau-Bretenoux castle stands on a rocky spur above the Dordogne valley, 38km from Rocamadour. |
 | S239. Carennac, arennac Beautiful place The medieval village Carennac with its 400 inhabitants is classified as one of the most beautiful villages of France. |
 | S240. Montvalent, Montvalent Beautiful place If you drive From Martel towards Gramat and you cross the river Dordogne, you pass the beautiful village Montvalent, that has a rich history and offers panoramic views of the river. |