Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Arrival in St-Cirq Lapopie:
Arriving by car from the west, you'll pass the town
across the Lot River, then cross a narrow bridge and climb. There are three well-signed
parking options: a small, free, dirt parking lot partway up, leaving you with a hefty uphill
walk; amuch closer paylot at village level (€3,exact change required); andathird lot that
lies at the top (€3, great views from here). Pull over for photo stops as you climb.
Riverside Trail:
Called Chemin de Halage, a beautiful trail below St-Cirq Lapopie
was originally used for pulling flat-bottomed boats upriver. Long sections of the trail are
cutintothelimestonecliff.Onceriverside,walkingdownrivertowardCahors,you'llreach
the cut-out section in about 20 minutes. The best stretch lies between St-Cirq Lapopie and
Bouziés, a six-mile-round-trip level walk—but it's a steep hike down to the river and a
long climb back up. Get details at the TI.
The village has all of 18 rooms, none of which are open off-season (mid-Nov-March).
$$ Auberge du Sombral**,
runwithpanachebyEnglish-speakingMarionisagood
value in the town center below the TI. She'll welcome you with an oh-so-cozy lobby area
andeightcomfortableroomsinvarioussizesabove,mostwithdoublebeds(smallSb-€52,
Db-€73-80, tel. 05 65 31 26 08,
www.lesombral.com
,
aubergesombral@gmail.com
). The
good restaurant serves reliable lunches (every day but Thu) and dinners (Fri-Sat only) in
its lovely dining room or out front on a photogenic terrace (€16 lunch
menus,
€22-28 din-
ner
menus
).
As restaurants go,
Lou Boulat Brasserie
works for me. It serves low-risk lighter
meals (salads, crêpes, and
plats
) in a low-stress setting, with good views from the side ter-
race (daily for lunch and dinner June-Sept, otherwise lunch only, at the upper end of town,
off the main road by the post office/PTT, tel. 05 65 30 29 04).
L'Oustal
is the most traditional restaurant in town, with a handful of cozy tables in-
side and out on a little terrace (
menus
from €17, €15
plats du jour
, beneath the towering
church, tel. 05 65 31 20 17).
Picnicking:
This town was made for picnics; consider picking up dinner fixings in
the hamlet of La Tour de Faure. There's a small grocery store on the other side of the river
just west of the bridge to St-Cirq Lapopie, and a bakery a short way east of the bridge.
