MTB Destination: 6 Must-See Trails in Lot

Lot draws its character from its causes, cut by the Lot and Sele valleys and the Dordogne valley. It is dotted with wonderful sites and beautiful villages such as Rocamadour, Cahors, Figeac and Saint-Cirque-Lapopie ... A land of excellent local produce and gastronomy, Lot awakens the taste buds with truffles, foie gras, lamb or melon from Quercy. , Wine Cahors Malbec. Whether it's hiking, biking or mountain biking, Lot's nature and authenticity are fully revealed.

Here we sweat, but not only ...

Here is a selection of the most beautiful mountain biking trails in the area. Everyone will find something for themselves, both the amateur and the experienced mountain biker.

Acquaintance with the dock of dolmens in Assje

This tour is ideal for children. Lots of dolmens and the Château de Gallo de Genouillac complete this walk through the Cos de Livernon.

For reference, there are over 350 dolmens on the Cos du Quercy. The dolmens, erected mainly between 3200 and 1500 BC, are today giant tables made of raw limestone slabs. They have long resembled pagan altars, but are in fact collective death chambers accessible through the gallery. These were collective burials. The dolmen was drowned in the middle of a mound of earth and stones, called a "mound", which collapsed over the centuries until it disappeared. In the early days of Christendom, these burials caused so much superstition that the priests wanted to destroy or bury many of them.

To see around

Figeac city

In the open air soleios, Figeac offers a new urban art, sensitive reading, where arcades and ogives tell the streets of the golden age of the Renaissance. Dedicated to Champollion, a native of the city, the Place des Ecritures, the Champollion Museum "Compositions of the World" is an invitation to travel.

www.tourism-figeac.com

Champollion Museum

This story began 5 years ago... This is the history of the scriptures of the world. Already from the outside, it is beautiful and sets the tone: on the one hand, a medieval stone facade, on the other, a facade with a thousand letters from all over the world made of copper and glass ... Welcome to the house born by Jean-Francois Champollion at the Museum of World Literature. Inside, the collections, based on the works of the famous character decoder, tell the story of a fairy tale writing adventure and take you on a journey through cultures around the world.

www.musee-champollion.com

Chain between rocks and water at Concots

This walk takes you along the wide rocky paths of Kos with gentle slopes. You will find some works of art on the outskirts of Escamps and Salamor Lake. Particular attention should be paid to the intersection of D22 and D55 at Escamps and before exiting GR.

For heritage lovers, you can learn a little more about dry stone construction on this tour. It is a technique of placing stones without a binder. This method is used for the construction of low walls, bordering areas, retaining walls, fences ... or even for seasonal rural dwellings: dry stone huts, also called kazel.

To see around

Phosphaters Cloup d'Aural

Deep cavities dug into limestone rock to mine phosphorites in the early 20th century reveal a timeless place. At a time when chemical fertilizers did not exist, people dug mines here to extract phosphate, an excellent natural fertilizer. Here we relive the golden age of these mines by observing the traces left by the miners. In these narrow canyons, dense fern vegetation seems to have come straight from the time of the dinosaurs. There is also a real paleontological treasure here: fossilized animals over 30 million years old (bears, saber-toothed tigers, etc.).

www.phosphatières.com

Land of truffles

We no longer present its scientific name tuber melanosporum, the real one that makes all gourmets salivate. Truffle hunting is organized from December to March. His perfumes are conquering markets such as Lalbenk or Lemon. When the whistle blows, deals start, baskets open, we sniff, we negotiate... it's like theater! To solve all its secrets and understand that a simple mushroom is actually a diamond, Marie France Urcival, a truffle enthusiast, tells you about it all year round.

truffespassion.com

Between Wiss and Coss in Rocamadour

This sports complex, located in one of the largest tourist sites in France, is one of the most noteworthy in the departmental choice. The quality of the heritage and the intersection of sensitive natural spaces are impressive. On the way to the walk, the Wiss and Alzou valleys, classified as Natura 2000 sites, offer you an exceptional quality of landscape, flora and fauna.

For history lovers, the city of Rocamadour has always confirmed the high spiritual character of the centuries-old pilgrimage carried out here. Since the 216th century, people from all over Europe and even from the Middle East have come here to summon the mysterious Black Madonna, hiding in the twilight of a tiny chapel. The Basilica and Crypt of Saint-Amadour, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is accessible to visitors after they have climbed the XNUMX steps of the pilgrims staircase (which some still do on their knees!).

To see around

Lakave Cave

The Lacave Caves, a magical journey of 1 hour and 30 minutes through the bowels of the earth. The journey begins by train. He guides you through a visual and aural spectacle.

These caves, hidden in a rock bordering the Dordogne, were discovered in 1902.

As you visit the rooms, you will hear about a giant spider, a flooded city, an angel's hand, or even Tarasque, the legendary dragon!

https://www.vert-marine.info/grottesdelacave/

Abyss of Padiraka

Penetrate to a depth of 103 m into the bowels of the earth, into a secret universe discovered in 1889 by Edouard-Alfred Martel. Gouffre de Padirac is the first abyss in France and one of the most interesting to explore in Europe. The underground river plays hide-and-seek in a labyrinth of cavities of the most bizarre shapes: mushrooms, candelabra, stone lace… On board the boat you arrive at the Rain Lake with clear water, after which the exploration continues. to the hall of the Great Dome with waterfalls. Unforgettably!

www.fou-de-padirac.com

The Tour du Pech Piounet in Cazals

Quite a long trail with a technical descent on GR 652 after Montclair. This route allows you to discover the landscapes of Burian, rich in chestnut trees, the road to Hindu and the Casal Bastide.

A typical Lot region, we are located in the south of the Burian country, in the Massé valley. This valley, classified as a vulnerable natural space since 1999, is remarkable for its landscapes and original natural environment, rare and protected flora and fauna, as well as cultural and historical heritage of great interest.

To see around

Kugyak Cave

Geological surprise and prehistoric treasures go hand in hand!

The Kugiak Caves, located 3 km from Gourdon and open from early April to late October, are fraught with two surprises: geological and prehistoric.

The first surprise is the first cave, explored in 1949, containing a very rich density of concretions: a freezing rain of thousands of stalactites and fistulas (the very best) falling from the ceiling. But also a real prehistoric treasure, located in the second cavity, discovered a few meters further in 1952. Here the visitor wants to be silent, seized by the solemnity of this place of worship frequented by the Cro-Magnon and more than ten millennia.

www.grottesdecougnac.com

Gourdon

Castle doors, half-timbered houses, narrow streets leading to the esplanade of the old castle... everything here beckons to a medieval walk. It is no coincidence that for more than twenty years now, in early August, the city has hosted “Les Médiévales de Gourdon”, a stunning street spectacle that takes the city and visitors back centuries.

www.tourism-gourdon.com

Duel's points of view

Despite a significant drop, the track follows two ups along the road. In addition to these difficulties, the view and vineyards make this trail very attractive. Crossing villages allows the stops to cool off ...

This route will take you to the wine-growing lands of Cahors. Duel is the port of the vineyard. The activity of the villagers has always been associated with shipping and wine, the production of barrels. Staffs from the Massif Central arrived at its port and left the local wine and cereals… Thus, in the 1990 century, the village was inhabited by sailors, winegrowers, coopers, carpenters… Rehabilitated in 1992, river tourism on the Lot allowed Douelle to rediscover its original vocation . Don't forget to take a look at Chamiso's fresco, made in XNUMX on the waterfront…

To see around

Cahors Vineyard

Planted on land bordering the site, the vines form the base for this valley, which has allowed it to expand. Malbec has found his favorite terroir on the limestone terraces of the alluvium of the Massif Central, as well as on the plateau 300 m above the river level, built of stones covered with clay. Malbec, planted on terraces by the river, produces soft and fruity wines that become more and more fleshy as we move away from the water. Climbing the hillside, the wines become richer: it is here that the great Cahors is produced. This name, which covers an area of ​​4 hectares, has a clearly articulated goal: perfection.

www.tourism-cahors.com

Puy Bishop

Located in the heart of the Cahors vineyard, this medieval town in the Lot Valley is built on a rocky promontory overlooking the river. Puy-l'Eveque is made up of a maze of alleyways and stairs surrounded by beautiful gilded stone houses that descend to the hold where barges used to dock on their way to Bordeaux. Discover the village on the left bank of the Lot, offering a breathtaking landscape ...

www.tourism-lot-vignoble.com

Between Lot and Sela in Cabra

One of the most beautiful tracks in the department, but also one of the most athletic. Magnificent panoramas of the Sele valley, a passage near Saint-Cirque-Lapopie, one of the most beautiful villages in France and the Grand Sit d'Occhitanie ...

Unspoiled nature and untouched heritage await you here. The Sele River plays capricious and enchants the curious. The ocher rocks above the river offer breathtaking scenery. This small secluded valley is punctuated by villages with remarkable stone structures and a majestic flight of birds of prey from Kos.

To see around

Pecs Merle Cave

Lot has its own Lascaux: the Pech-Merle cave. But here we will visit a real decorated cave. Horses, mammoths, bison, punctured with dots, lines, hands: what a frieze! All in a natural setting of nodules, which enhances the beauty of the paintings. A whole 25 years old, and you are speechless ...

www.pechmerle.com

Holy Circus Lapopi

The most beautiful village in France, Saint-Cirque-Lapopie, lies in the waters of the Lot below. A situation overlooking a river and a heritage worth dying for: Renaissance houses, medieval stalls, alleys lined with hollyhocks and shaded squares, craft shops ... a real film setting! We understand why André Breton, opening the village, said: "I stopped wanting myself in another place ...".

www.saint-cirq-labopie.com

To taste in the corner

Don't miss a thing here ... just to recharge your batteries before hitting the road again on your mountain bike.

The basics:

The cheese is rokamadur

truffles

kagor

... And also saffron, melon

Accomodation