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Surnommée « la rose impossible dans la nuit » par le père du surréalisme André Breton, Saint-Cirq-Lapopie est, en plus d'être l'un des plus beaux villages de France, un site majeur de la Vallée du Lot. Le petit bourg médiéval compte à lui seul 13 monuments historiques. Emblématique, l'église gothique, dont la première pierre fut posée en 1522, dédiée au plus jeune martyr de la chrétienté, Saint-Cyr, se dresse en son sommet. Accroché à une falaise de près de 100 mètres, le bourg, un véritable chef-d'œuvre de l'époque médiévale, s'aperçoit de loin ! Un site en hauteur, stratégique pour surveiller la navigation dans la vallée. Pris d'assaut en été, son petit centre-ville débordant de charme offre un dédale de ruelles étroites. La construction des plus anciennes maisons aux façades de pans de bois remonte au XIIIème siècle. Surplombant le Lot et sa vallée, de nombreux vestiges rappellent l'époque où la cité vivait au rythme des crues de la rivière et des activités de batellerie. Moulins, ports et écluses trônent toujours au pied du rocher sur lequel Saint-Cirq-Lapopie se dresse. L'ancien château du Xème siècle, haut perché, appartenait à plusieurs familles seigneuriales. L'une d'entre elles, les Lapopie a donné son nom à la ville. Du fort, il reste aujourd'hui une tour du XIIIème, un corps de logis et une enceinte. Pour observer ces vestiges, pourquoi ne pas grimper à travers le village jusqu'au rocher de La Popie ? Une vue panoramique sur la vallée du Lot est à découvrir. Les marcheurs en route vers Saint-Jacques-de-Compostelle peuvent, en suivant la voie Podiensis, entre Cahors , Figeac et le GR651 qui zigzague à travers les Causses, découvrir les environs avant de passer vers Saint-Cirq-Lapopie. N'hésitez pas à quitter la ville. Les alentours regorgent de merveilles du patrimoine lotois. Falaises à pic, maisons troglodytes, sans oublier de nombreux châteaux. Ouvrez bien les yeux, car ils sont partout, comme les caselles, ces petites cabanes en pierres bâties au milieu des champs. Menacées et souvent détruites, celles qui servaient d'abris pour les hommes et les animaux en temps de tempête font aujourd'hui partie du patrimoine régional.

Dive into the heart of an open abyss and go back in time surrounded by tropical plants like. Curious tourism on a unique paleontological and geological site. During a heat wave: freshness guaranteed! Let yourself be surprised by the contrasts: an exploitation of phosphate having revealed fossils of the tertiary era and containing a flora "of tropical atmosphere" .... A guided tour and themed areas with a treasure hunt for young and old are available. An unusual place to discover with family or friends!

The castle of Cénevières appears in 763 during the capture of the Duke of Aquitaine Gaiffier by Pépin Le Bref. The powerful family of Gourdon will transform it into a fortified place to fight against the English during the 100 years war. Antoine de Gourdon takes part in the Italian wars with François 1er. He brought back the love of Renaissance architecture and embellished his castle in 1550. He converted to Protestantism, participated in the wars of religion, received Henri IV there before the attack on Cahors in May 1580. You will see one of the firecrackers which was used to break down the gates of the city. During more than 1 hour of visit, you will be able to see 10 furnished rooms (XII °, XVI °, XVIII ° s) with tapestries, a library, a ceiling decorated in the XVI ° s with tulips and the city of Constantinople. Note a very rare Alchemy cabinet with paintings on the theme of Ovid's Metamorphoses. The tour ends with an old kitchen with utensils, dungeons, a chapel and a prison, old weapons and armor.

THE GARDENS OF QUERCY, in Midi-Pyrénées Close to Cordes sur Ciel, Najac, and St Antonin Noble Val     Located in the Tarn et Garonne near Verfeil sur Seye, in a rural environment, with lovely views of the surrounding landscapes, this one-hectare garden has surprises in store for visitors who love plants and flowers. Indeed, on a gently sloping ground, easily accessible, there are different spaces or plant rooms created by two passionate amateurs.   The white garden, the original vegetable garden in pots, the amphitheater, the undergrowth, the colored ""squares"", the intimate garden, the small contemporary cloister garden, the labyrinth, etc. and the latest addition, the Oriental/Indian garden, can be discovered as the walk progresses with the help of a document taken at the entrance, following a winding signposted route. These small and large gardens are separated by many hedges which gives the impression of changing the world by following the paths, paths and crossing well-kept lawns. Numerous trees including around thirty cypresses as well as tall conifers carved into topiaries structure these places full of poetry.   The plants are placed in such a way that in English mixed-borders, the eye is always attracted by spots of color. Nothing is really left to chance to compose tables changing during the season. Visitors will discover unusual plants such as perennial geraniums, to be differentiated from the geraniums (actually pelargoniums) in our planters, which have the advantage of returning each year and presenting flowers that are often intense blue, unusual in the gardens. Each year hundreds of new vines are planted or renewed.Between May and September, you can admire, among other things, from horticultural garlic to the magnificent purple ball, various peonies, the 900 old and modern roses scattered in the flowerbeds, the delphiniums with their beautiful blue stems, the penstemons so delicate, the shimmering dahlias, the sages present in almost all beds, and the asters at the end of the season.   Everywhere, at the corner of the paths, on the lawns, in the shade, benches and seats allow you to stop and observe nature. Indeed, due to the almost total absence of chemical products, this garden welcomes quantities of butterflies, insects and bees foraging in all these corollas offered.   Ideas abound in these places where one of the objectives is to broaden the range of plants used in the region, with an educational aspect concerning the creation of flower beds.   "Les Jardins de Quercy"" have obtained the ""Jardin Remarquable"" label awarded by the Ministry of Culture and of which only about twenty parks and gardens are holders in Midi-Pyrénées. It should be noted that the owners make a distinction between the parks mainly composed of beautiful old trees, quite common in the Midi-Pyrénées region, and the gardens which, on the British model, few in the region, mainly appeal to flowers and compositions. bold. This garden, which is part of the "Club des Sites" of Tarn et Garonne, offers you, during your visit, documentation on other nearby places worthy of interest.