The Dordogne Places
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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. It hosts the helpful regional information center, and makes a fine base from which to explore the Lot River valley, a 50-km (31-mi) gorge punctuated by medieval villages. 107 quai Cavaignac, Cahors, 46000. 05-65-35-07-09. www.tourisme-lot.com.
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.
