The Lot Valley France

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Destination Guide To The Lot Valley France

The French talk about the Lot Valley as La France Profonde, meaning “Deep France”.

Peaceful and rural, this is the place for driving on deserted mountain roads or wandering around medieval villages that don’t seem to have changed much over the last few hundred years.

The town of Penne

Tucked quietly in between the tourist draws of the Dordogne, the wineries of Bordeaux and the glamorous Riviera, the Lot is one of the last forgotten corners of France (thankfully for you and I! ).

The Lot is an area of outstanding natural beauty, known for its dramatic gorges, lush green hills and fascinating medieval villages (many are classified as the most beautiful in France).

So whether you’re looking for an active holiday in the great outdoors or a relaxing and peaceful break, the Lot is definitely a place to consider.

Here are a few photos and videos of places in the area so you can see what the area is like.

St-Cirq-Lapopie is a lovely, tiny medieval village perched high up overlooking the Lot river, just east of Cahors.

Here’s a video of the village:

The houses date from the 13th to the 16th centuries and are beautifully preserved. In fact the whole town feels like a museum!

St-Cirq-Lapopie

The views are spectacular and you’ll find cute little cafés and art shops to explore, as well as remains of three châteaux and a 15th century church.

The surrealist poet Andre Bréton lived here in the 1950s.

Conques, classified as a historical monument and a UNESCO listed site, is located on the river Dourdou, surrounded by mountains and forests.

Conques – Lot Valley France

The lovely timbered-framed houses are huddled around the abbey of Ste-Foye. This abbey was built between the 10th and 12th centuries and was an important place of pilgrimage in the Middle Ages.

Here is a video with a slide show of Conques:

Conques holds medieval music and art festivals throughout the year.

Najac is another beautiful village in a stunning location, above the river Aveyron.

Najac

Najac has a ruined fortress with quaint medieval houses below, and surrounded by lovely countryside. It is also built along the top of a ridge so is quite unusual in that respect.

Penne is another lovely village with houses clustered around castle ruins.