Lauzerte : Quercy Pays de Serres

Discovering Lauzerte
One of the Most Beautiful Villages of France
Halt on the Routes of Santiago de Compostela
A historical and architectural introduction (on foot) to the medieval part of the village.
For groups (10+), all year except Sundays, by appointment, 2€/person.

Office de Tourisme
Place des Cornières
82 110 Lauzerte
Tel. 05 63 94 61 94

The pilgrim’s garden
Installation designed around a life-size Game of the Goose on the theme of the pilgrimage of Santiago de Compostela: an entertaining way to explore history, the life of a pilgrim in the Middle Ages, and a European cultural and linguistic heritage (pilgrims’ songs).
Listed Remarkable garden (Jardin Remarquable), Midi-Pyrénées region Architecture award 2003, Landscape in heritage (Un Paysage en Heritage) trophy 2003, 1st prize Midi-Pyrénées Cultural tourism trophies 2001.
Free entry. Dice and explanatory notes available from the Office de Tourisme. 
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Saint Sernin du Bosc chapel
This attractive Romanesque chapel (11th century, listed Monument Historique) nestles in a little valley aptly named Combe de Miel (honeycomb). Though small, it has some interesting features: a semi-circular apse with radiating vaulting, a triangular gable bell wall, a Romanesque cornice on corbels.

A local charity, set up in 1991 for its restoration, collects donations, handles administrative matters and monitors work on the building.

Association for the safeguard of St Sernin du Bosc
Mairie
82 110 Lauzerte

Raised pigeon tower
16th or 17th century hexagonal pigeon tower on stone pillars: the main structure consists of 6 panels of timber framing with brick infill; the 6 irregular pillars are of solid stone, capped with a mushroom shaped “hat” (Lo Capel in Occitan) to prevent rodents entering. The roof is topped by a pyramid-shaped “lantern” with wooden slats enabling the pigeons to fly out. At the apex, a ceramic finial representing a pigeon. Free access, please treat with respect as private property. Thank you.

Nature ramble
Starting from the Domaine équestre (equestrian centre): public pathway with information panels indicating species of trees, plants and animals along the way. Free access, please treat with respect. Thank you.

Domaine équestre
Les Bordes
82 110 Lauzerte
Tel. 05 63 94 63 46

The hearse and harness museum
With paradoxical enthusiasm, good humour and endless jokes, this hearse collector, dressed up as a priest or an undertaker, will ceremoniously show you round his parade of some 100 hearses of various periods and styles. He also collects harnesses and agricultural equipment.
1 hour guided tour followed by tasting of regional products.
Adults 5 €; Children under 14 2.50 €.
Open April to October, daily 0900 to 2000. 

Yvan Quercy
Minguet
82110 Cazes Mondenard
tél/fax 05 63 95 84 02.

Sculpture garden (Jardin des Sculptures)
Moulin de Nouguy - 82 110 Lauzerte. tel. 05 63 94 71 83

Le moulin à eau de Brousse
Moulin de Brousse - 46 170 Castelnau-Montratier. tel. 05 65 21 95 81.

Saint Géraud mill bakery
Moulin de Saint Géraud - 82 220 Labarthe. tel. 05 63 67 68 99.

Boisse windmill
Moulin de Boisse - 46 170 Sainte Alauzie. tel./fax 05 65 31 86 23.

Florever
S. Laoué, “Sinjou”, St Vincent 82 150 Montaigu de Quercy. tel. 05 63 95 30 10.

Lavender distillery
M. and D. Thévenet - Servat - 46 800 Belmontet. tel. 05 65 31 90 17.

Grotte de Roland cave
Grotte de Roland 46800 Montcuq Tel. 05 65 22 99 30

Montjoi, delightful stone hill-top bastide (13th century), surrounded by ramparts. Entry through a pointed archway; narrow streets with half-timbered houses and corbelled upper floors lead to the square with its ancient well. Wide views; circular pathway. Evening illuminations of the ramparts and the church.

Castelsagrat, and its arcaded square. A former bastide (1270) built to a regular plan around a rectangular square, bordered with 13th and 14th century arcades. Well, wooden panelled houses, listed Baroque altar.

Montaigu de Quercy, clinging to the hillside. This ancient fortress retains traces of its past: remains of the outer walls of the castle, houses with corbelled upper floors, fountain and wash house.

Roquecor, and the legend of the Nobis rock (Roc de Nobis). Perched on a rocky summit, dominating the valley of the Petite Séoune, the village retains some medieval remains and an interesting troglodyte site which can be reached from the former circular pathway. According to legend, in the Middle Ages all the guests at a wedding, at the height of the celebrations under the castle ramparts, were crushed by an enormous rock which had broken away.

Montcuq (take care to pronounce the final q, or you’ll be saying the equivalent of “my bum”!) The 12th century tower dominates the medieval part of the village, with its narrow streets, 13th and 14th century houses, some timber-framed or with corbelled upper floors, façades with gemeled bay windows and pointed arch doorways. St Hilaire church, 14th/17th century.

Castelnau-Montratier, 1,2,3 … windmills. Perched on a promontory, this 13th century bastide retains traces of its past, with its regular layout, arcaded square, house of the consuls, remains of the ramparts and belfry. Romanesque-Byzantine style church of St Martin. 3 windmills stand proudly at the entrance to the village.

Montpezat de Quercy. At the end of the Middle Ages, this village was a merchant town, witness the covered archways of the Place de l’Horloge (clock square), the grand hall of the Hôtel de Ville (town hall) and some rich stone houses, recently restored and lending the old part of the village great charm. 16th century tapestries at the Saint Martin Collegiate.