St-Cirq-Lapopie - Lot, Midi-Pyrenees, France travel

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St-Cirq-Lapopie ('most beautiful villages of France') is 20km east of Cahors in the Lot region of France

Tourist Information

St Cirq Lapopie, in its stunning position perched over the Lot River, would be generally considered as one of the most beautiful of the 'most beautiful villages of France'. It is in the 'Parc naturel régional des Causses du Quercy'.

At the top of a cliff 80 metres above the Lot River, the town is accessed through great stone gates in the fortified walls, and has the remains of three chateaux, and a fine 15th century roman-style church (four feudal dynasties lived here in the middle ages, hence all the chateaux!). The narrow cobbled streets of St Cirq Lapopie contain a lovely mixture of medieval houses - some in colombage (half-timbered) and some in stone, with small terraced gardens adding to the beauty of the place.

Below the village, next to the river, are an assortment of old mills and buildings testifying to the activity of the village in centuries gone by.

Nowadays St Cirq Lapopie is home to numerous artists and artisans, a trend started perhaps when Andre Breton made his home here and declared that he had, as a consequence, 'stopped wanting to go anywhere else".

The village lies on one of the important pilgrimage paths to Santiago de Compostelle that cross France, and also played an important role in the Albigensian crusades, the Hundred Years War and the Wars of religion.

St Cirq Lapopie is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the Lot region, and should not be missed if you are in the region. As with many of the 'most beautiful villages' it is best seen early in the morning - for the better light, and for the smaller numbers of tourists bustling around.

Nearby

Nearby places of interest include the prehistoric caves of Pech-Merle at Cabrerets; the chateau de Cenevieres (a beatiful renaissance chateau); and the Chateau de Larnagol.

Much of the Lot Valley is also worth exploring.