Dordogne and Lot Regions Guide - attractions

Cahors
Situated 55 miles (89km) north of Toulouse in a loop of the Lot River, the ancient city of Cahors was inhabited long before the Romans arrived, and in medieval times was a thriving university town. Across the river is the town's signature piece, the Pont Valentré. This magnificent fortified bridge was built between 1308 and 1500 and features a trio of towers, battlements and seven pointed arches. The Cathédrale St-Etienne dominates the old town and features a sculptured Romanesque north portal, which was carved around 1135. Today the town is best known for its excellent cuisine and the fine deep red wine that is made in the surrounding vineyards. Sunday is market day and a good opportunity to buy some of the local produce. A good excursion from Cahors is the stunning cliff-edge village of St-Cirq-Lapopie, 19 miles (31km) to the east. Perched high above the south bank of the Lot, the village, with its cobbled lanes, half-timbered houses and gardens, is best visited in the evenings when the tour buses have left and the excellent restaurants have more tables available.
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Montauban
Montauban lies on the banks of the River Tarn, 50 miles (80km) north of Toulouse and is one of the most ancient cities in southwest France. Its origins date from 1144 when the count of Toulouse decided to create a bastide here as a bulwark against English and French royal power. The genius of the original medieval town plan is still obvious in the lovely town centre, and though the suburbs now sprawl way beyond the old core, the city is still dominated by the fortified Eglise St-Jacques fort and the 14th-century brick bridge, Pont Vieux. The artist Jean-Auguste-Dominique Ingres (1780-1867) was born in Montauban and many of his works now hang in Musée Ingres, situated in the old 17th-century Bishops Palace, including The Dream of Ossian, originally intended for Napoleon's bedroom in Rome.
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Conques
Conques occupies a spectacular position on the flanks of the steep, densely wooded gorge of the little River Dourdou, a tributary of the Lot, and is one of the great villages of southwest France. The site was chosen as a retreat by a hermit called Dadon in the 7th century, and was named from the Latin concha, meaning shell. Dadon founded a community of Benedictine monks here, one of whom pilfered the relics of the martyred girl, Ste Foy, from the monastery at Agen. Known for her ability to cure blindness and liberate captives, Ste Foy's presence brought pilgrims flocking to Conques and the magnificent Romanesque abbey-church became a prime place on the pilgrimage route to Compostela in Spain. Pilgrims still come today, along with tourists who come to admire the beautiful town.
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