The Lot Valley cycle route V86
Signposted route from 210 km, the Lot Valley Cycle Route links Cajarc (Lot) to Aiguillon (Lot-et-Garonne), following the Lot River through vineyards, orchards and preserved landscapes. For lovers of cycling or cycling, the Véloroute - Vallée du Lot (V86) is the ideal way to discover the city of art and history of Cahors and its vineyards, medieval villages, fortified towns and characteristic landscapes shaped by the river.
The Véloroute map is available in downloadable version or in hard copy at our tourist information offices. Mainly using low-traffic roads, the cycle route is designed to provide maximum comfort to cyclists. Be careful though, because this is a route shared with cars. Stay vigilant and obey the highway code!
Find the list of accommodation near the Véloroute route.
Cajarc
This ancient medieval city, renowned for its culture safran, nestles in a cirque of limestone plateaus at the foot of the Lot River and benefits from a particularly pleasant natural setting where life is good. Also, the gateway to the Quercy Causses Regional Natural Park, Cajarc
has a remarkable natural heritage: a protected area and five natural zones of ecological, faunal and floral interest.
Cenevières
Renowned for its Renaissance castle, one of the most beautiful in Quercy, which offers a spectacular view of the Lot river from its terrace, Cénevières is worth a break as the village inspires calm and contemplation.
Crégols
This small village benefits from a impressive geological wealth : between resurgences, phosphate or even igue, passing through this place is worth putting down your bike to escape on some paths, in particular on the one leading to the igue, which offers a grandiose spectacle (allow 1,5 km one way).
Saint-Cirq Lapopie
Undeniably the gem of the Lot Valley! Elected favorite village of the French in 2012 and home to 13 historic monuments, this listed medieval village is incredibly well preserved, which gives the impression of traveling back in time! The hill leading to the village is a bit steep, but the view of the village is breathtaking. Here, you leave the bike for a stroll through the small streets and village art galleries.
Cahors
Among the emblematic places, Cahors of course. Seat of the Bishops, spectacular with its 12th century cathedral, punctuating the Way of Saint James of Compostela and giving it the label of Unesco World Heritage. Majestic also with the Valentré Bridge, remarkable bridge in France. And then all these medieval and ancient jewels, so magnificently preserved, to discover during a visit of Cahors.
Luzech
Luzech is a peninsula which forms one of the most spectacular sites in the Lot Valley. The rocky spur that forms its backbone, dominated by the hills of Impernal and Pistoule, is cut by the narrow isthmus shaped by the river. The tour of the island allows you to immerse yourself in the heart of the vineyards and discover the village and the Notre Dame de l’Ile Chapel, dedicated to the boatmen who navigated this perilous meander.
Albas
Village perched above the Lot, Albas is part of the castra acquired by the bishop of Cahors in the 13th century, in his conquest of the Lot valley.
At the top of the rocky spur, the remains of the episcopal castle (current town hall) and the imposing neo-Romanesque church from the 19th century stand side by side. The village then extends to the edges of the D8, marking the limits of the medieval town.
Along rue de la Carrière, winegrowers' houses with cellars, characteristic of Quercy rural architecture, have been preserved. The street extends to the banks of the river, location of the old trading port.
Puy l'Evêque
Built on a rocky spur, the medieval city can also be explored on foot thanks to the Puy-l'Evêque visitor guide , than from the river aboard the barge. Its medieval houses in ochre stone rub shoulders with more recent developments, such as the hanging gardens. On leaving the city, let yourself be surprised by the know-how of the Virebent porcelain factory, a living heritage company.
Villeneuve-sur-Lot
Villeneuve is a bastide founded on both banks of the Lot between 1251 and 1264.
Among the largest and most powerful bastides in the South-West, Villeneuve-sur-Lot displays a rich heritage:
- the tall red brick towers of Pujols and Paris (14th century),
- the Cieutat Bridge,
- the Notre-Dame-du-Bout-du-Pont Chapel,
- the hall (19th century Baltard architecture),
- Saint Catherine's Church,
- the Moulin de Gajac and the Eysses site.
You also come here to laugh, during the festival of the same name in July.
Le-Temple-sur-Lot
The village of Le Temple-sur-Lot developed around the Templar commandery built around 1280. After the dissolution of the order and the Hundred Years War, the building was taken over by the Hospitallers.
Castelmoron-sur-Lot and its castle
On the banks of the Lot, Castelmoron flourishes in a rich agricultural plain known for its plum trees. The bastide was born in the 13th century and became, after many Franco-English conflicts, an important city in the 16th. Its irregular plan adapts to the geographical conditions (waterways, relief) and includes a small old center and many squares. The quality of the buildings is heterogeneous, with some districts such as Place Jules Calas offering beautiful facades combining half-timbering and mixed and decorative stone and brickwork.
Sting
Aiguillon is a 13th-century French bastide built above the Garonne plain. There you will discover a medieval district with its half-timbered houses, but above all an imposing ducal castle, built in the 18th century by an exiled duke... and which hints at the splendor of its glorious era. Don't miss the walk from the center of Aiguillon, which will take you to the emblematic meeting place between the Lot and Garonne rivers.
From Aiguillon, you can reach the Canal des deux mers by bike then one of the European cycle routes like the Velodyssey (EuroVelo1) to the West or the Mediterranean Route (EuroVelo 8) to the East.