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| Lot department | |
| Capital | Cahors |
|---|---|
| Residents | 173.929 (2018) |
| surface | 5,217 km² |
no tourist info on Wikidata:  | |
| location | |
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Lot (pronounced lott - with a short 'o' and an audible 't') is a department in the French region Midi-Pyrénées. It bears the serial number 46 and borders the départements Corrèze in the North, Cantal, Aveyron, Tarn-et-Garonne in the south, Lot-et-Garonne and Dordogne in the West.
Regions
places
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- Cahors is the prefecture (administrative seat) of the department; medieval old town on the Way of St. James
- Carennac, late medieval fortified village that was named one of the most beautiful villages in France
- Figeac, City of art and history with a medieval old town; Birthplace of the Egyptologist Jean-François Champollion, who succeeded in deciphering the Rosetta Stone
- Gourdon
- Martel
- Rocamadour, a place nestled against the rock that extends over three levels; In the Middle Ages, an important pilgrimage site for the Black Virgin
- Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, awarded as one of the most beautiful villages in France, shaped by the Middle Ages with city walls and castle ruins
- Souillac
Other goals
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- Natural park Causses du Quercy, Limestone plateau with karst landscapes, occupies a large part of the department.
- Cahors wine region
- Vallée de la Dordogne
background
The current department of Lot coincides to a large extent with the historical province Quercy, more precisely the upper Quercy.
language
getting there
By plane
Closest international airport is Toulouse-Blagnac. From there it is approx. 115 km to the capital of the department (approx. 1:15 hours by car).
By train
In each direction, two IC trains stop daily between Paris and Toulouse in Cahors; Another IC from Paris ends in Cahors, it also stops in Souillac and Gourdon. There is also a night train from Paris.
Regional Express trains (TER) run on the Toulouse – Montauban – Brive-la-Gaillarde lines with stops in Cahors, Gourdon and Souillac; Toulouse-Capdenac; Rodez – Brive-la-Gaillarde via Capdenac, Figeac, Gramat, Rocamadour, St-Dénis-près-Martel; and Aurillac – Capdenac. However, some of these only run a few times a day.
From Paris to Dehors it takes just under 5½ hours, from Toulouse with the IC 1:10, with the TER 1:20 hours.
In the street
The A 20 Paris – Toulouse motorway runs right through the middle of the department.
On foot
The Via Podiensis, a branch of the Way of St. James, which is also signposted as the GR 65 long-distance hiking trail.
mobility
Tourist Attractions
- Bad luck Merle, in Cabrerets near Cahors. With paleolithic rock carvings from around 16,000-20,000 years ago and a museum on prehistory.
- Assier. Renaissance castle and church of Saint-Pierre.
- Bretenoux. Old town with half-timbered houses and market.
- Cahors. Bridge Pont Valentré from the 14th century with three fortified towers, six arches and pillars reinforced with pointed bastions; unusual Romanesque cathedral, remains of a Roman thermal bath, aqueduct.
- Carennac. Romanesque priory church of Saint-Pierre with an excellent and particularly well-preserved narthex portal and tympanum.
- Figeac. Musée Champollion, translator of the Rosetta Stone and writings in general with a replica of the famous stone inscribed in several languages; Romanesque church of Notre-Dame du Puy.
- Gourdon. Saint-Pierre gothic church, historic town hall.
- Martel. High medieval Palace de la Raymondie with belfry, partly redesigned during the Renaissance, museum with Gallo-Roman excavations of the Celtic city of Uxellodunum; Market hall made of chestnut wood from the 18th century.
- Souillac. Romanesque abbey church, castle-like church Saint-Martin, historic market hall from the 1830s (classicistic).
- Château de Castelnau Bretenoux, in Prudhomat. Most impressive medieval fortress in the Quercy.
- Château de Belcastel near Lacave. Picturesquely situated on a steep cliff above the Dordogne.
- Renaissance castle of Assier
- Viaduc de la Borrèze. 30-arched and approx. 570 meters long, brick railway bridge (built 1881–85) near Souillac.
- Gouffre de Padirac. Padirac Gorge, karst cave system created by an underground river.
Château d'Assier
Fortified bridge Pont Valentré, Cahors
Portal near Saint-Pierre in Carennac
Souillac Abbey
Château de Castelnau Bretenoux
activities
- Ride on the steam train Le Truffadou from Martel through the Dordogne valley
- Cycling on the towpath along the banks of the Lot.
- Houseboat tour on the navigable part of the upper Lot between Luzech and Larnagol
kitchen
Dishes made from goose and duck meat, such as foie gras or duck confit, as well as recipes with truffles, chestnuts, nuts and / or fruit (e.g. apples, pears, figs) are typical of the region.
A well-known product of the department is the goat cheese Rocamadour.
