Lot-et-Garonne Property

THE Lot-et-Garonne area, located just south of the Dordogne, is one of France’s best kept secrets. Blessed with abundant natural beauty, it is home to many charming medieval towns, and boasts unspoilt countryside, tranquil rivers and mysterious caves. Lot-et-Garonne is often referred to as “the garden of France.”

Indeed some of the villages are so attractive they’ve been classified as the most beautiful villages in France.

Read on to find out more about this beautiful corner of southwest France or view our Lot-et-Garonne property for sale here 

A hidden gem

Since the region isn’t coastal it hasn’t had much publicity or tourist attention in the past, and it’s been somewhat overshadowed by its more well-known neighbouring department, the Dordogne - the region north of the river.

But now that travel infrastructure has improved and the area is more accessible, the stunning natural beauty of the Lot-et-Garonne is waiting to be discovered.

Bastide towns

Reminiscent of Tuscany, with is rolling green hills, lush woodlands, and lovely temperate climate, Lot-et-Garonne is famous for its many medieval bastide towns scattered throughout the landscape. Home to more bastides than any other area of France, the region is host to over forty.

Bastide towns are planned ‘new’ towns that were built between 1222 and 1372 to a deliberate design of straight streets crossing one another at right angles, with a central market square surrounded by arcades (couverts).

The most well-preserved examples of bastide towns include Monflanquin, Monpazier, Eymet, Bergerac, and Duras.

Tourist attractions

Overlooking the valley of the Ouysse is a steep limestone cliff, and perched right on top, as if clinging to the sides, is the village of Rocamadour, one of France’s premier tourist attractions.

Surrounded by a sea of green trees, the village sits above the valley and is constructed on the very face of the cliff – don’t visit if you suffer from vertigo!

There are also a number of spectacular underground caves with 3,000 year old prehistoric paintings still inside, the most notable of which include Hautefage-la-Tour, Grottes de Fontirou, Gouffre de Padirac, and Grotte de les Tournelles.

No visit to the lot-et-Garonne is complete without a sojorn to the small city of Cahors – the capital of the Lot region - and the Pont Valentré bridge, which has become one of the most photographed sites in France (outside Paris).

Surrounded on three sides by the river Lot, Cahors has seen many masters through the ages, including the English, the Romans, the Moors, and the Gauls. The unique fortified bridge of Valentré was built in the 14^th century and is extremely well preserved, a wonderful example of medieval architecture.