Impressively sited on a promontory almost completely surrounded by a bend in the River Lot, Cahors enjoyed fame and fortune in the Middle Ages and is a pleasant country town today. Cahors is well known for its “black” wine.
= Population: 21 157
T Michelin Map: 337 E 5
i Info: pl. Mittérrand. t05 65 53 20 65. www.tourisme-cahors.com.
Ñ Location: 112km/70mi N of Toulouse via the D 820 or A 20.
õ Parking: Several car parks around the town centre.
> Timing: Allow at least half a day to explore the town, and another day to visit the nearby villages and vistas of the Lot Valley. For a different perspective on the town, take a boat trip on the Lot.
w Don’t Miss: Pont Valentré.
The city’s merchants were responsible for building this superb six-arched stone bridge; its construction lasted from 1308 to 1378. Its fortifications are a reminder of the importance attached to the defence of Cahors by Philippe le Bel (the Fair), whose relationship with the city was based on an act of pariage (equality between a feudal lord and a town).
Cathédrale St-Étiennea
pl. Chapou.
The cathedral is one of the first of the domed churches of Aquitaine. The 13C north dooraa shows Christ beginning to rise, while the angels are stilling the fears of the disciples.
Chapelle St-Gausbert
>Open Sat 3–5pm or by prior arrangement. Contact the Tourist Office. t05 65 53 20 65.
16C paintings in the style of the Italian Renaissance decorate the ceiling of this former chapterhouse, while 15C paintings representing the Last Judgement adorn the walls. The chapel also contains the Cathedral Treasury. Enter the inner court of the former arch-deaconry of St John through the door in the northeast corner of the cloisters.
Ñ On leaving the cathedral, follow rue Nationale past the covered market.
Rue Nationale
This was the main thoroughfare of the active Badernes Quarter. At No 116, the panels of a lovely 17C door are decorated with fruit and foliage. Across the way, the narrow rue St-Priest has kept its medieval appearance. It leads to place St-Priest which boasts a beautiful outside wooden staircase in Louis XIII style (No 18).
Ñ Turn right.
Rue du Docteur-Bergounioux
At No 40 a 16C town house has an interesting Renaissance façade opened by windows influenced by the Italian Renaissance style.
Ñ Retrace your steps and continue straight on.
Rue Lastié
Note the Rayonnant windows at No 35.
At No 117, a 16C house has kept its small shop on the ground floor above which are twin bays. At the far end of the street, the pretty brick houses have been recently restored.
Ñ Turn left.
Rue St-Urcisse
The late-12C church of St-Urcisse is entered through a 14C doorway. Inside, the two chancel pillars are decorated with elegant historiated capitals.
Note the 13C half-timbered house (No 68) with its soleilho (open attic), in which laundry was hung out to dry.
Ñ Turn right.
The mansion is also known as Henri IV’s Mansion because it is said that the king of Navarre stayed there during the siege of Cahors in 1580. The house dates from the end of the 15C and was restored in 1912. In the 17C it became the property of the Roaldès, a well-known Quercy family.
Ñ Turn back then right onto rue de la Chantrerie.
La Daurade
This varied set of old residences around the Olivier-de-Magny square includes the Dolive House (17C), the Heretié House (14–16C) and the so-called Hangman’s House (Maison du Bourreau), with windows decorated with small columns (13C).
Ñ Turn right then walk down the street on the right.
Pont Cabessut
From the bridge there is a good viewa of the upper part of the city, the Soubirous district. The towers bristling in the distance are: Tower of the Hanged Men or St John’s Tower, the bell tower of St-Bartholomew, John XXII’s Tower, Royal Castle Tower and the Pélegry College Tower.
Tour du Collège Pélegry
The College was founded in 1368 and at first took in 13 poor university students; until the 18C, it was one of the town’s most important establishments. The fine hexagonal tower above the main building was constructed in the 15C.
Ñ Follow the narrow lane to the left; it runs onto rue du Château du Roi. Turn right then right again past the prison.
Tour du Château du Roi
Near Pélegry College stands what is today the prison and was once the governor’s residence. Of the two towers and two main buildings erected in the 14C, the remaining massive tower is known as Château du Roi.
Ñ Return to the prison, follow the street opposite and turn right.
Ilôt Fouillac
This area has undergone an extensive programme of redevelopment. By getting rid of the most run-down buildings, a square has been cleared. Its sides are decorated with murals, and it is brightened by a particularly interesting musical fountain.
Ñ Turn right towards rue des Soubirous.
Tour Jean-XXII
This tower is all that remains of the palace of Pierre Duène, brother of John XXII. It is 34m/112ft high and was originally covered in tiles. Twin windows pierce the walls on five storeys.
Église St-Barthélémy
This church was built in the highest part of the old town, and was known until the 13C as St-Etienne de Soubiroux, Sancti Stephani de superioribus (St Stephen of the Upper Quarter), in contrast to the cathedral built in the lower part of the town. The church was rebuilt to its present design in several stages. The belfry, the base of which dates from the 14C, has no spire, and it is built almost entirely of brick.
The nave, with its ogive vaulting, was designed in the Languedoc style. In the chapel nearest the entrance, on the left, a marble slab and bust call to mind that John XXII was baptised in this church.
The cloisonné enamels on the cover of the modern baptismal font depict the main events in the life of this famous Cahors citizen.
Ñ Walk to boulevard Gambetta and head north.
The ramparts, constructed in the 14C, cut the isthmus formed by the meander of the River Lot completely off from the surrounding countryside.
Remains of these fortifications can still be seen and include a massive tower at the west end, which sheltered the powder magazine, and the old gateway of St-Michel, which now serves as entrance to the cemetery.
It is on the east side, however, where the N 20 road enters the town, that the two most impressive fortified buildings remain: the barbican and St John’s Tower. The barbican is an elegant guard house which defended the Barre Gateway; St John’s Tower ,or the Tower of the Hanged Men (Tour des Pendus), was built on a rock overlooking the River Lot.
Ñ 70km/43.5mi W of Cahors via D 653.
i Hôtel de la Monnaie, pl. Vival, 46102 Figeac. t05 65 34 06 25. www.tourism-figeac.com. õ Parking in centre.
Sprawled along the north bank of the Célé, Figeac developed at the point where the Auvergne meets Upper Quercy. A commercial town, it had a prestigious past, as is shown in the architecture of its tall sandstone town houses.
Le Vieux Figeaca
The old quarter, surrounded by boulevards tracing the line of the former moats, has kept its medieval town plan with its narrow and tortuous alleys.
The buildings, of elegant beige sandstone, exemplify the architecture of the 13C, 14C and 15C. Generally the ground floor was opened by large pointed arches and the first floor had a gallery of arcaded bays. Underneath the flat tiled roof was the soleilho, an open attic, which was used to dry laundry, store wood, grow plants, etc. Its openings were separated by columns or pillars in wood or stone, sometimes even brick, which held up the roof. Other noticeable period architectural features to be discovered during your tour of the old quarter are: corbelled towers, doorways, spiral staircases and some of the top storeys, which are half-timbered and of brick.
Musée Champolliona
pl. Champollion. >Open Apr–Sept daily except Mon 10.30am–12.30pm, 2–6pm (Jul–Aug daily 10.30am–6pm); Oct–Mar daily escept Mon 2–5.30pm. >Closed 1 Jan, 1 May, 25 Dec. |P4. t05 65 50 31 08. www.ville-figeac.fr.
Museum devoted to Jean-François Champollion. Permanent exhibits include hieroglyphs and letters written by Champollion to his brother. Learn how and why people started writing.
Prehistoric painting in Grotte du Pech-Merle
E. Larribère/MICHELIN
Ñ The cave is located 7km/4.3mi N of St. Cirq-Lapopie and 32km/19.8mi E of Cahors.
zGuided tours (1hr) Apr–Nov 9.30am –noon, 1.30–5pm. Tour limited to 700 visitors per day (reservations recommended 3 days in advance in Jul and Aug). |P8 (children, P4.50). t05 65 31 27 05. www.pechmerle.com.
Sited high above the River Célé just before it flows into the Lot, the Pech-Merle cave is one of the most fascinating in terms of prehistory and spelaeology.
On the lower level of the cave are paintings of a fish, two horses covered in coloured dots, and “negative hands” (made by stencilling around hands placed flat against the rock). Something like a three-dimensional effect is produced by the way in which the Late Perigordian artists integrated their work with the irregularities of the rock surface. There are also representations of bisons and mammoths, as well as petrified human footprints from the Early Magdalenian. The upper level has strange, disc-like concretions, “cave pearls”, and eccentrics with protuberances defying the laws of gravity.
ADDRESSES
. Chambre d’hôte le Clos des Dryades – 46090 Vers. 19km/11.8mi NE of Cahors on the D 653, towards St-Cirq-Lapopie and the D 49 road to Cours. t05 65 31 44 50. 5rms, 3 gîtes. Nestled deep in the woods, this house with its tiled roof is the perfect place to get away from it all. The rooms are comfortable and the large swimming pool is a great place to cool off on a hot summer’s day. Two self-catering cottages are also available.
. Hôtel Les Chalets – 46090 Vers, 14km/9mi E of Cahors on the D 653. t05 65 31 40 83. 23rms. This small modern hotel situated in an attractive leafy setting is particularly welcoming. The bedrooms, with balconies or small gardens, overlook the river.
q Hôtel A l’Escargot – 5 bd Gambetta. t05 65 35 07 66. Closed Feb school hols, Dec and Sun out of season. 9rms. Near the Tour Jean-XXII, this hotel occupies the old palace built by the pontiff’s family. Functional bedrooms with colourful furnishings, plus a renovated breakfast room.
q Auberge du Vieux Douelle – 46140 Douelle, 8km/5mi W of Cahors on the D 8. t05 65 20 02 03. The dining room in the vaulted cellar of this popular inn, known locally as “Chez Malique”, is decked out with bright red tablecloths.
q Le Dousil – 124 r. Nationale. t05 65 53 19 67. Closed Sun and Mon. This wine bar near the town’s covered market offers an extensive list of over 100 vintages. The décor includes a traditional zinc counter and stone walls.
q La Garenne – In Saint-Henri, 7km/ 4.5mi N towards Brive. t05 65 35 40 67. Closed Mon eve and Tue eve (except Jul–Aug) and Wed. This typically Quercy-style building once served as a stable. But the main attraction here is the delicious regional cuisine.
q Le Rendez-Vous – 49 r. Clément-Marot. t05 65 22 65 10. Closed 28 Mar– 14 May, Sun and Mon. Reservations recommended. Located close to the cathedral, Le Rendez-Vous has developed a reputation for modern cuisine.
Market – A traditional market is held on Wednesday and Saturday mornings at Place Chapou, with farmers’ stalls selling a range of local produce.
Les Délices du Valentré – 21 bd Léon-Gambetta. t05 65 35 09 86. Try the Coque de Cahors, a brioche with candied citron and flavoured with orange water, and Cabecou, a chocolate sweet.