Stretching from Cahors into the neighbouring Lotet-Garonne, the winding Lot river and the Cahors vineyards give this part of the Lot its character.

They say that Cahors is the first real town of the south with its typical red brick buildings and its confused medieval street pattern. There are cafés on the main street, with tables and chairs stretching out on the pavement and there is always somebody who seems to have time to sit and watch the world go by.

In medieval times it was as important as Toulouse, with a university. The bankers of Cahors were sufficiently famous to be mentioned by Dante in the ‘Inferno’ – in hell of course. It was also the birthplace of Jacques Dueze who became Pope Jean XXII. The city was granted to the Black Prince during the Hundred Years’ War but he did not keep it for long.

Some idea of the power of the Consuls, largely independent merchant rulers of the city, can be gained from reading the list of 32 questions to be found in the city archives, which they demanded he answer before they would open the gates. His cagey but respectful answers are still there as well. Today, Cahors is a traffic planner’s nightmare – a fine medieval jumble jammed into the middle of a tight loop in the Lot.

Visit the Cathedral Saint-Étienne with its rare double-domed roof. The Pont Valentré over the Lot is rightly famous, one of the finest examples of medieval military architecture in France. Do not forget to walk across it and turn left to find the Fontaine de la Chartreuse – 200 metres or so on your right. This spring surges out of the rock from 750 metres below ground. It has been in use since the time of the Romans and probably before.

On Wednesdays and Saturdays, the picturesque market in Place Chapou opposite the cathedral is everything you imagine a French provincial market ought to be. For a different experience, go there in winter early in the morning when the sky is clear. You will find all the jolly market traders wrapped up in scarves and anoraks. Their steaming breath by winter moonlight is surreal.

Luzech on the Lot river

Visit the library – the Bibliothèque municipale in the place Gambetta. It is a masterpiece of the woodworkers’ art, worthy of an Oxford college, with endless rows of shelves, beautiful galleries and spiral staircases. Just outside is the statue of Gambetta, Cahors’ most famous son, the one-eyed lawyer who escaped in a hot-air balloon from the siege of Paris to continue the fight in the south during the Franco- Prussian War.

Downstream from Cahors, towards Bonaguil and the Lot-et-Garonne, the Lot is full of charm. Using Puy l’Évêque and its surroundings as your base, you can enjoy the river’s varied activities: swimming, canoeing, fishing etc and admire the architecture. Albas, a mini Saint-Cirq, is built on top of a cliff, Moncrabier and Castelfranc are bastides typical of this medieval style of urban renewal commonly found throughout the South-West. Other recommended villages are Duravel, with an 11th-century crypt and ancient priory, Saint-Vincent-Rive-d’Olt for its altarpiece and Martignac for its frescoes.

Definitely worth a visit is Luzech, perched on a rocky isthmus and home to a museum tracing the geology and presence of dinosaurs in the area. For more on Prehistoric animals, see the nearby Plage aux Ptérosaures in Crayssac.

On the way to Cahors, keep an eye out for breathtaking châteaux such as Château de la Reine du Danemark in Caïx, Château Lagrezette in Caillac and the Château de Chambert.

A series of festivals on a wine and music theme will suit classical and jazz tastes. In May, Albas hosts ‘Le Bon Air est dans les Caves’ mixing wine with jazz and, in August, the independent wine producers hold a ‘Fête du Vin’ in Duravel with popular French music. Both are excellent occasions to sample wines. For classical music lovers, there is a reputable cello festival in Bélaye in August.