The village of St-Cirq-Lapopie is located in the Southwest of France in the department of the Lot, just south of the Dordogne, on a limestone cliff above the Lot River. Since we bought the house, many improvements have been made in the village, yet it remains a unique and timeless jewel, a preserved medieval village and one of the most popular destinations among the French. The impressive church dates from the 13th century and is named, as is the village, for the youngest Catholic saint, a 4-year-old girl martyred with her mother. Our house is on the cliff, just behind the church, with spectacular views of the river and its valley. Although the house is less than 100 meters from the village center, its is tranquil and peaceful even at the height of the tourist season.

The village has a small beach on the river where canoes, kayaks, and paddle boards are available to rent. The village has numerous excellent restaurants that serve traditional regional specialties such as confit de canard, cassoulet, truffles, coq au vin, and foie gras. Opportunities to indulge in excellent ice cream also abound.

Walking and hiking – A paved, level path along the Lot River extends all the way from St. Cirq to Bouzie (called the Canal Towpath, 3-4 km). There are many quiet, shaded places along the way to stop and have a picnic and enjoy the solitude. Other hiking opportunities can be found at: http://www.saint-cirqlapopie.co.uk/nature/walks-hikes-excursions.

Kayaking is available at Kalapca Loisirs (www.kalapca.com) (about 7 km to the west on D662 in Conduche, they speak English) that rents canoes and kayaks, and also offers rappelling, spelunking, rock climbing, canyoning, mountain biking, hiking, and more – all experience levels. For canoe trips, they drive you up the Célè river to start you off, help you put the canoe into the river, and then you paddle back to the rental place at your own pace. It is very beautiful and peaceful, and you can arrange trips of durations of 4-8 hours.

Biking – Just across the river in Tour de Faure you can rent both regular bikes and ones that are motorized. (You can either pedal as usual or turn on the motor when you get tired).

Horseback riding is available in several places, the nearest in Cabrerets – the Office of Tourism has details.

We frequently see motorized para-gliders passing over the house. If you’re interested in this, check out www.causses-en-ailes.fr/.

There are several excellent restaurants in the village – Bar Lapopie, La Tonelle, Lou Cantou, and Le Gourmet Quercynois (all within a 5-minute walk from the house).

Wine tasting – Unlike any other region in France, the primary grape is Malbec, from which the famous “black wine of Cahors” is made. In the 13th century the Russian Orthodox Church chose it as their Mass wine, and it was a favorite of Tsar Peter the Great. It has its own AOC designation (Appellation d’origine controlée), and many vineyards offer tasting (“dégustation de vins”). A couple vineyards can be found along the road from St. Cirq to Cahors. We recommend the Chateau Lamagdeleine Noire which is very good! Most vineyards are on the west side of Cahors, however, accessible along route D8 (see your map). Ae guide available in the office of Tourism lists many vineyards.

The Museum of the Resistance in Cahors is fascinating and is currently being renovated to provide information in French and English. This region was notable for very strong resistance fighting during WWII and was never fully occupied by Germany.

Markets – Cahors has a large and wonderful market on Wednesday and Saturday mornings that includes many vendors selling fruits, vegetables, meats, fish, bread & pastries, spices, cheeses, desserts, gifts, clothing, and more. It also has great monthly brocante (second-hand) and vide grenier (basically “clean out the attic”) markets where you can often find irresistible deals on one-of-a-kind items. Limogne (15 km) has a smaller but very nice market on Sunday mornings. Each local village has a market so you can find one on any day of the week. St. Cirq has a very small market (perhaps 3-4 vendors) on Wednesday afternoons in the square, at which you can typically find fois gras, confit de canard, wine, bread, confiture, fruits, vegetables, bread, and pastries.

Although temperate from April through October, the weather in St. Cirq Lapopie is more variable at either end of the season. The good news is that the village and region are gorgeous rain or shine. Here are some ideas for things to do:

1) Visit the prehistoric caves at Pech Merle, one of the very few opportunities anywhere to see original Paleolithic cave art up close and personal—go online to reserve an English-speaking tour (http://www.pechmerle.com/english/introduction.html).

2) Visit the Renaissance castle Château Cénevières (although reputedly construction was begun by Charlemagne’s father, Pepin the Short, in the 8th century) — with luck you may run into the 80+ year old owner who will regale you with wonderful stories (in French), or his charming son who speaks perfect English.

3) Take a day trip to Albi– a lovely city, the home of Toulouse-Lautrec, and with the most amazing cathedral interior this side of Chartres.

4) The outdoor markets run rain or shine– take a large shopping bag (or a colorful basket) and schedule a lunch break at a nearby cafe. There is a local market nearly every day in one of the nearby villages, all worth going to (https://www.guide-du-lot-et-garonne.com/en/tourism/tasting/lot-and-garonne-markets.html).

5) Watch a movie, assemble some snacks and drinks and just hang out. Click ‘pause’ once in a while and gather at the window for amazing views across the village and valley.

6) Drive to Conques (93 km, 1 ¾ hours) with its eighth century Abbey (an important pilgrimage site), Cordes sur Ciel (66 km, 1 ¼ hour), St Antonin Noble Val (47 km, < 1 hour), or Najac (~ 1 hour away) with its true castle on a hill surrounded by its village (or any of the other famously beautiful towns in the region).

7) Spend a few hours at a French spa or salon— there’s Alain at the Salon Siz-O in Limogne; and there are salons in Cahors. And just across our bridge in Tour de Faure is a lovely spa at the Hotel St. Cirq Lapopie.

8) On a Thursday, make the drive to the morning market in the square of Villefranche de Rouergue (leave early, you’ll need some time to find parking). Make a reservation at the Cote de Saveur restaurant for a delicious lunch.

9) Walk the tow paths by the river— use an umbrella until you get to the limestone cliff, which you will then walk beneath, temporarily free of drizzle.

This is just a partial list of things to do, but remember: you don’t even need to leave the village. The shops, the restaurants, the museums, the ruins, the vistas, the alleyways, the houses, all are there to explore. And you’ve got a great house to duck back into. Breathe deeply, relax, enjoy.