Cahors

Less touristy and populated than most of the Dordogne, the Lot Valley has a subtler charm. The cluster of towns along the Lot River and the smaller rivers that cut through the dry, vineyard-covered plateau has a magical, abandoned feel. Just an hour north of southwestern France's main city, Toulouse, Cahors is the Lot area's largest town, hosts the helpful regional information center (107 quai Cavaignac. 05-65-35-07-09. www.tourisme-lot.com), and makes a fine base from which to explore the Lot River valley, a 50-km (31-mi) gorge punctuated by medieval villages. Here and on other routes—notably the GR46, which spans the interior of the Lot region, with breathtaking views of the limestone plateaus and quiet valleys between Rocamadour and St-Cirq-Lapopie—cyclotourisme (biking) rules supreme.

Modern Cahors encircles its Ville Antique (Old Town), which dates from 1 bc. Once an opulent Gallo-Roman town, Cahors, sitting snugly within a loop of the Lot River, is famous for its vin de Cahors, a tannic red wine known to the Romans as "black wine." It was the Romans who introduced wine to Cahors, and Caesar is said to have brought Cahors wine back to Rome, but perhaps the region's biggest booster was the former bishop of Cahors who went on to become Pope John XXII. This second Avignon pope of the 14th century made sure his hometown wine became the communion wine of the Avignon church. Malbec is the most common grape used, which produces, according to recent studies, one of the most potent anticarcinogenic and heart-healthy wines on the planet—Madiran. There's also a growing amount of merlot in the region and the local jurançon noir grape to be tasted. Many of the small estates in the area offer tastings, and the town tourist office on Place François-Mitterrand (05-65-53-20-65) can point you in the direction of some of the more notable vineyards, including the Domaine de Lagrezette (in Caillac) and the Domaine de St-Didier (in Parnac).

Cahors was also an early episcopal see and the capital of the old region of Quercy. Ruled by bishops until the 14th century, the university here was founded by Pope John XXII in 1322. The old parts of the town are interesting from an architectural perspective.