France | Win the big prize

(Rocamadour) Travelers passing through the Lot, a department located about a hundred kilometers north of Toulouse, can concoct a route as dazzling as it is varied. On the menu: Cahors, with its robust wine, its fortified bridge, its magical villages and its caves from another time; and Rocamadour, the eye-catching medieval town that gives its name to delicious goat cheese.

Sylvain Sarrazin
The Press

Saint Cirq Lapopie, full of magic

Before hitting the road, first pronunciation lesson: don’t let the title of this article lead you on the wrong track and say “Lotte”. Our first stage, about twenty kilometers from Cahors, will be our second lesson in diction: information taken, it is indeed “Saint Sire Lapopie” that we must say. Behind this curious name hides one of the most beautiful towns in the country (voted favorite village of the French in 2012), perched on its hill and offering breathtaking views of the Lot valley and its eponymous river. We stroll along belvederes and charming period streets, surrounded by houses dating from the 12th century.^e in the 15th^e century. There are 13 historical monuments there (the tourist office can provide a small free guide), including the church proudly erected on its rock – a breast-shaped foundation, translated as “la popa” in the local language. We let you unravel its other toponymic and tourist mysteries.

The Pech Merle cave

Head north towards the village of Cabrerets, where you will find the entrance to the Pech Merle cave (lesson number three: “Pèche Merle”). If Saint Cirq Lapopie takes us back to medieval times, descending into this lair propels you directly to the prehistoric era. Discovered in 1922, the maze fascinates as much by its splendid concretions as by the numerous cave paintings left 20,000 years ago by our ancestors, superbly preserved. Human arts and geological beauties form a captivating picture, where representations of mammoths and horses rub shoulders with stalactites and natural columns. The number of daily visits is very limited and reservations are essential (€14, or $19, for an adult). Open daily from April to November. Photos are prohibited.

Fall in love with Rocamadour

It’s hard to describe the dazzle that seizes you, around a bend, when the site of Rocamadour suddenly takes over your eyes. We often talk about French medieval cities, but this one clearly stands out (no pun intended): built on the side of a cliff, it clings as if by magic to the rock, rising up to 150 m, giving the air of Abu Simbel or Petra, in a giant European version. Rocamadour is made up of several layers, including a village at the foot of the cliff, a castle at its summit and, between the two, a basilica where pilgrims once flocked. There is indeed a crypt where the relics of the hermit Saint Amadour were stored in 1166, as well as a chapel dedicated to the Black Virgin, erected in 1479. Every summer, a festival of sacred music is organized there (in 2022, it is scheduled for August 15 to 26), while hot air balloons take off and float in the heights of the city in autumn (event scheduled for September 24 and 25).