Advertisement: A walk through the French countryside. Visit medieval villages and eat good food. The suggested route begins in Marroule and ends in Bouziès.
More photographs.
Difficulty: Variable, but roughly 10-15 miles per day of walking, with minimal elevation change.
Preparation:
Route
Buy a map. The Institut Géographique National (IGN) of France makes excellent maps. Try to get a more zoomed in walking map instead of a road map, e.g. 2138 OT for Cahors. These might be hard to find in the urban department stores, but most tourist centers will have them for their respective and surrounding regions. If you can't find one, use Google Maps and draw out a map by hand!
For transportation lookups, use Rome2Rio. I took a train from Toulouse to Villefranche-en-Rouergue. From there, it is possible to take a bus to Limogne-en-Quercy or Marroule, but I walked the distance. I don't recommend the walk from Villefranche-en-Rouergue to Marroule, since there isn't much of a shoulder and its a busy road used by trucks. Either way, the main idea is to take D911 from Villefranche (either by bus or foot) until Marroule. If one proceeds by foot from there, there is a dirt road between D911 and D71 that goes due west which more or less takes one to Limogne-en-Quercy, though one has to be careful about intersections (check the map!).
From Limogne-en-Quercy to Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, take D40 more or less all the way. The road is paved and there are not many cars on the road. This route passes through the village of Lugagnac. One possible route is to take a left turn at the sign for Blanche Combe, after D40 merges with D26, which heads into the hills and cliffs to the west. There is a path here that takes one directly to Saint-Cirq-Lapopie. It is most likely not easier than the road, but it gives a bit of an alternative flavor. Again, if you get a map, you can plan your own route.
From Saint-Cirq-Lapopie to Bouziès one can take the popular Chemin de Halage. There are many signs in town for this path, which takes you below the cliffs along the Lot River. From Bouziès one can take a bus to Cahors and then a train back to Toulouse. Make sure you write down the timetable, because the buses do not come often.
A possible variation is to stay an extra day or two at Saint-Cirq-Lapopie and visit some nearby sights, e.g. the village of Cénevières (there is a chateau) or the Pech Merle caves. Bike rentals are available in Tour-de-Faure, a short walk from Saint-Cirq-Lapopie. One can also continue walking to Cahors, but the road seemed somewhat treacherous and I did not fully research a path.
Food and Lodging
I can recommend the following restaurants along the way: La Vieux Quercy in Limogne-en-Quercy, and Auberge des Gabares in Cahors (I really loved their confit de canard). I can recommend the following bread and breakfast: La maison bleue in Limogne-en-Quercy.
Summary: Walking is a great way to explore France. The villages are fun to explore and there's good food along the way. 5/5
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| A typical farm between Villefranche-de-Rouergue and Marroule |
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| A field between Marroule and Limogne-en-Quercy |
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| Houses in Saint-Cirq-Lapopie |
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| Saint-Cirq-Lapopie in the morning |
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| Cliffs along Chemin de Halage |
More photographs.
Difficulty: Variable, but roughly 10-15 miles per day of walking, with minimal elevation change.
Preparation:
Route
Buy a map. The Institut Géographique National (IGN) of France makes excellent maps. Try to get a more zoomed in walking map instead of a road map, e.g. 2138 OT for Cahors. These might be hard to find in the urban department stores, but most tourist centers will have them for their respective and surrounding regions. If you can't find one, use Google Maps and draw out a map by hand!
For transportation lookups, use Rome2Rio. I took a train from Toulouse to Villefranche-en-Rouergue. From there, it is possible to take a bus to Limogne-en-Quercy or Marroule, but I walked the distance. I don't recommend the walk from Villefranche-en-Rouergue to Marroule, since there isn't much of a shoulder and its a busy road used by trucks. Either way, the main idea is to take D911 from Villefranche (either by bus or foot) until Marroule. If one proceeds by foot from there, there is a dirt road between D911 and D71 that goes due west which more or less takes one to Limogne-en-Quercy, though one has to be careful about intersections (check the map!).
From Limogne-en-Quercy to Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, take D40 more or less all the way. The road is paved and there are not many cars on the road. This route passes through the village of Lugagnac. One possible route is to take a left turn at the sign for Blanche Combe, after D40 merges with D26, which heads into the hills and cliffs to the west. There is a path here that takes one directly to Saint-Cirq-Lapopie. It is most likely not easier than the road, but it gives a bit of an alternative flavor. Again, if you get a map, you can plan your own route.
From Saint-Cirq-Lapopie to Bouziès one can take the popular Chemin de Halage. There are many signs in town for this path, which takes you below the cliffs along the Lot River. From Bouziès one can take a bus to Cahors and then a train back to Toulouse. Make sure you write down the timetable, because the buses do not come often.
A possible variation is to stay an extra day or two at Saint-Cirq-Lapopie and visit some nearby sights, e.g. the village of Cénevières (there is a chateau) or the Pech Merle caves. Bike rentals are available in Tour-de-Faure, a short walk from Saint-Cirq-Lapopie. One can also continue walking to Cahors, but the road seemed somewhat treacherous and I did not fully research a path.
Food and Lodging
I can recommend the following restaurants along the way: La Vieux Quercy in Limogne-en-Quercy, and Auberge des Gabares in Cahors (I really loved their confit de canard). I can recommend the following bread and breakfast: La maison bleue in Limogne-en-Quercy.
Summary: Walking is a great way to explore France. The villages are fun to explore and there's good food along the way. 5/5
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