The area

Just five minutes away by car is the river Dordogne - a great attraction for swimming and canoeing in summer. Canoes can be hired at Gluges for a half-day or a day. You can row, or just drift, downstream to Creysse, St Sozy, Pinsac and Souillac.

The area is ideal for walking (except at mid-day in mid-summer!) and L'Érable is only five minutes walk from the GR652 footpath on the section between Rocamadour and Carennac. It is easy to put together very pleasant circular walks on the causse and down into the valley.

Other activities include cycling, caving, paragliding and golf, with two courses only 25 minutes away, at Montal and Souillac.

Underneath the limestone of the causse lies a network of subterranean passages, lakes and rivers. Miss the crowds and arrive early to visit to the the Gouffre of Padirac only 10 minutes away, its underground river network making its way underneath the causse to emerge at Saint Georges at the foot of the village of Montvalent. The Grottes of Lacave only 20 minutes away are also well worth visiting.

Local sightseeing

At L'Érable you are perfectly placed for visiting the pretty medieval villages of the beautiful Dordogne valley as it traverses the northern tip of the department of Lot and the region of Midi-Pyrennées.

Driving east, upstream alongside the river Dordogne, you will discover the little village of Carennac with its chateau, abbey, cloisters and no end of pretty houses with their old red tiled roofs clustered together, all in a beautiful setting facing the island of Calypso and the river. Further on is Loubressac, perched on the hill overlooking the valley. A little further east is Autoire, a hidden gem. Nearby, on the river Cère, lies the bastide town of Bretenoux with its small but colourful market on Saturday mornings and its nearby castle of Castelnau Bretenoux. St Céré on the river Bave (next to St Laurent les Tours, former home of the tapestry designer Jean Lurçat, now a museum open in summer) is also interesting to explore. It is well worth making a detour to Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne, just over the border in Corrèze, to see the 9th century abbey of St Pierre and the town's beautiful setting on the river Dordogne.

Only 8km to the north lies the lovely medieval town of Martel, founded in the 12th century, with a market on Wednesday and Saturday mornings. In July the festival of the bandas (street bands) is held, as well as the annual sheep shearing fête. In August the town is host to various concerts as well as a beer festival where you can dine on sauerkraut and be entertained with music, dancing and a travelling fairground. Every Wednesday evening in summer a dance is held under the market hall. The old railway station is the home of the Truffadou, the 'train touristique', well worth a visit. And not far away is a farm auberge which demonstrates the milling of the local walnuts to produce delicious walnut oil. Other events include outdoor antique sales and winter truffle markets.

Only 20 minutes away to the south-west lies Rocamadour in its magical setting, clinging to the cliffs of the Alzou valley. It attracts many visitors in summer but is well worth visiting, especially at night when the day-trippers have gone. There are good walks in the area around the village. Upstream from Rocamadour, the GR6 takes you past ruined watermills. Downstream are the green pools of the gouffres of Cabouy and St Sauveur where the river Ouysse emerges after travelling underground all the way from Thémines, before making its way into the Dordogne at Lacave.

Choose to explore to the west of L'Érable and you will pass through the tiny village of Creysse where ducks, geese and walnut groves abound, and then on towards Souillac with its imposing abbey.

Further afield

Around Sarlat

About 45 minutes to the west lies the medieval picture book town of Sarlat with its wonderful buildings, colourful Saturday morning markets and many restaurants. Just to the south of Sarlat, on the river Dordogne, you can visit the splendid castles of Castelnaud and Beynac, the picturebook clifftop village of Domme and, close by, the gardens of Marqueyssac. This makes an excellent day-trip from L'Érable.

Brive and the south of Corrèze

L'Érable is situated in the very north of Lot and, taking the road north, you soon enter the department of Corrèze. Here lies the busy town of Brive-la-Gaillarde, well worth a visit for its busy Saturday market in its modern setting, and the smart shops and restaurants in the narrow streets of the town centre as well as the hypermarkets on the outskirts. This southern part of Corrèze also boasts some very pretty villages, such as Collonges-la-Rouge, Meyssac and Curemonte, all within easy reach.

Cahors

Cahors, the administrative centre of the department of Lot, lies to the south, squashed into a curve in the river Lot. It has a southern feel compared with Brive and has great character, the old narrow alleys of the ancient heart of the town lying next to the wide avenues and open spaces created in more recent times. Wednesday and Saturday markets are held in the square next to the cathedral and there are plenty of shops, cafes and restaurants. The 700 year old bridge over the river, the magnificent Pont Valentré, should definitely not be missed.

Regional park of Quercy

Between L'Érable and Cahors is the small area known as the 'dark triangle'... Nothing sinister! Satellite photos of France taken at night show that there remains one small dark triangular area with no light pollution, and this is in the department of Lot, only 30 minutes away in the heart of the Parc Régional des Causses de Quercy. If you like peace and quiet it is worth taking the narrow country roads southwards and taking a look at the tiny villages of this area, each clustered around an impressive church, and at the wild, natural landscape of the causse in between.

This route also leads to Cabrerets and the cave of Pech-Merle with its cave paintings and interesting museum and, a little further on, to the village of St Cirq Lapopie in its beautiful setting looking down on the river Lot. You can walk from the village down to the old towpath which takes you towards Bouziès, parts of which are cut into the cliff.

More information...

For practical information on visiting this beautiful area, restaurants, all the events taking place while you're here and lots more...

Our site : Villages of Haut Quercy

and the site of the Office of Tourism of Lot :