A land of contrasts, the Lot brings together unmissable sites with remarkable names such as the sacred city of Rocamadour or the most famous chasm in Europe, Padirac, as well as a multitude of small charming villages. The Lot is a territory of diversified landscapes where the arid plateau of the Causses du Quercy Regional Park, the canyons of the Dordogne valley, the forests of Bouriane or the vineyards of the Lot valley blend together. Famous sites or small secret spots, make your choice, everything is within reach of Camping Le Rêve!
Perhaps we should start by describing the Lot! A department in the south-central part of France, it is not yet very well known, less so than its neighbour, the Dordogne, to which we are very close. Now that the introductions have been made, I propose that you discover our region through the favourite returns of our campers.
1. The Lot, the Spot for walking and hiking
Les reliefs très variés apportent une grande richesse dans le choix des balades. Vous pouvez optez pour la fraicheur des sous-bois, les sentiers avec murets en pierres sèches et cazelles ou encore les chemins qui traversent les canyons sans oublier les randonnées qui vous feront découvrir des points de vue magnifiques avec vue dégagée sur la vallée de la Dordogne. Petite rando, longue rando, balades en vélo, de très nombreux circuits sont disponibles au camping. Et si vous êtes plutôt du soir, profitez de la rareté d’un ciel étoilé avec l’une des plus faibles pollutions lumineuses de France !.
2. The most beautiful villages of France
In the Lot, six villages are among the “Most Beautiful Villages of France”: Carennac, Loubressac, Autoire, Cardaillac, Capdenac-le-Haut and Saint-Cirq-Lapopie. I would add seven other villages in our neighbouring departments, easily accessible from Le Rêve: Domme, La Roque-Gageac, Castelnaud-la-Chapelle and Beynac-et-Cazennac in the Dordogne, Collonges-la-rouge, Curemonte and Turenne in Corrèze. Brown tile roofs, ochre stones, sculpted windows and square dovecotes give them an exceptional character. Many other small villages are worth a visit and although they are all different, their charm is undoubtedly their common asset.
3. History and heritage
The history of the region is preserved through numerous sites, such as the medieval castles of Castelnaud-la-Chapelle or Beynac or the 15th century castles of Fénelon or Lantis. The flour mills, oil mills and tobacco drying sheds that dot our countryside speak of a more recent history. Go and meet the passionate people who will tell you about them. If you are interested in more ancient times, you will also find numerous caves, including several decorated caves such as Pech Merle or those of Cougnac, next to us, jewels! Prefer history and culture, we offer you an exceptional heritage:
4. The Lot, the place to eat
Duck, walnuts, Rocamadour cheese, saffron, truffles, Quercy lamb are just a few examples of local specialities to be paired with Cahors or Causses wines. All these good products can be found on our markets or directly from the producers. Don’t forget to taste the walnut cream, a delight to discover and share! Finally, any stay in the Lot is accompanied by the tasting of pastis: a kind of tourtière filled with apples marinated in old plum.
5. Activities and events
Because holidays also rhyme with ‘spending time’ and ‘having fun’, the Lot is also the place to be! The Dordogne, Célé and Lot rivers offer you canoeing or gabarre trips. Caving, climbing, via ferrata, tree climbing, cycling, fishing and wildlife parks are other possibilities. The towns and villages are particularly lively in the summer, such as the Médiévales de Gourdon, Souillac en jazz or the Ecaussystème eco-citizen and solidarity festival, which welcomes some of the biggest names in contemporary music.
The Lot, the spot where you simply feel good!