Day 35 – Bouzies to St-Cirq-Lapopie

  


Our next adventure was a walk to St-Cirq-Lapopie which has been rated as one of the most beautiful villages.  We were advised to park our car in Bouzies and walk to St-Cirq-Lapopie. 

It was a nice drive along a road that followed the Lot. The route took us through two picturesque little villages Vers  and St Géry. We  stopped at St Géry to get a bite to eat from a boulangerie that Bev had spotted. The village also boasted the cleanest and nicest public toilets we had experienced in our travels. 

The very clean toilets

Bouzies is a little village of 88 inhabitants.  The only part we were interested in was the start of the walking and cycling route to St-Cirq-Lapopie.  However before we left there were a couple of photo opportunities. The main ones being a very interesting single lane iron bridge across the river. Behind it in the cliff  there looked like there had been built into cliff a house of some sort.  Unfortunately, I had left my camera with a decent telephoto lens so I am not sure how clearly the photo above will come out. Hopefully you can make out the tunnel that had been carved through the rock. 

The bridge and behind it the caves where people lived

The overhang comes into view

Carving in the rock. It was spectacular


The walk was reasonably easy and followed a tow path that was used pulling boats along the Lot before there was steam and then diesel.  We  turned a corner after about a kilometre and up ahead the tow path had been carved into the side of the cliff.  It was quite spectacular. For 200 metres or more the path was very uneven and threatened to wreck ankles but we managed without a problem.  A couple of kilometres later we looked up to see a church seemingly built on the edge of a cliff overlooking the Lot. It was quite spectacular but a photo does not really convey the dramatic look of it. 

The view of the church I've cut off about 2/3rds of the cliff

Bev spotted a path that led up to the village of St-Cirq-Lapopie.  It was very rough and quite a significant climb.  We were rather warm, to say the least, when we popped out into the lower part of the village.  The village itself was very pretty and clean. We climbed up to the church and then found there as another vantage point even higher where there must have been a castle in a previous time.  The village had been a place for artist including Man Ray.  There were still lots of artistic works for sale so I assume it is the place for artists to gather. 



Various views of the village

We sat in the square and did some people watching while having a little drink. 

Then it was a walk down to the tow path.  Even the return was interesting as the light was different as well as perspective. 

It was a lovely day out. 

Figuring out if she fit in a cave

Bev was at the top

Food truck at Bouzies


The church

Lookin back to where we came from.  We walked on the left 


Working hard to open a lock gate







 

Comments

  1. Victoria27 May 2026 at 00:23

    Looks and sounds very beautiful - enjoy those travels :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Susan27 May 2026 at 15:14

    You and Bev find the most beautiful and interesting places. Plus you’re both so fit!

    ReplyDelete

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