Saint Cirq Lapopie: The favorite village of the French

Heading east from Cahors, a cliff road crosses the river through the Lot Valley to bring you to Saint Cirq Lapopie. This medieval village, voted the French's favorite village in 2012, rises from the cliff 100 meters above the river. It descends in a veritable cascade of small cobbled streets, Gothic facades, fortified gates and holly trees. Saint Cirq Lapopie, once home to a thriving river trade and famous for its carpenters, has 13 preserved historical monuments. The village has not only kept its heritage, but has also retained an irresistible charm.

Shops, restaurants and cafes are protected from the sun in the shadow of the Gothic arches and the space exudes a harmony. From the late 19th/early 20th century, the village attracted artists, Parisian art gallery owners and, from the 1950s onwards, numerous artists belonging to the Surrealist Movement. This artistic dimension is still clearly discernible as you explore the “parcours d’art contemporain” (contemporary art trail), not to mention the International Artist Residence created at Maisons Daura. It was the poet and writer André Breton who put Saint Cirq Lapopie on the map when he said "Here, I stopped wishing I was elsewhere." You can easily see why!

Local cuisine

Local specialties include Huile de noix du Périgord (a mechanically extracted French virgin walnut oil), Agneau du Quercy (lamb from the dry Quercy region in France, using lambs slaughtered between 90 and 180 days of breeding), Rocamadour is a small, flat, very soft cheese made from raw goat's milk. You should also definitely try the local wines with some melon for which the area is famous.

The best time to visit Saint Cirq Lapopie

The best time to visit Saint-Cirq-Lapopie in France is from May to September when you will have a pleasant or warm temperature and limited rainfall. The highest average temperature in Saint-Cirq-Lapopie is 28°C in July and the lowest is 8°C in January.

Transfer to and from Saint Cirq Lapopie

There are 4 ways to get from Cahors to Saint-Cirq-Lapopie by bus, carpooling, taxi or rental car.

Public Transportation

You can walk around Saint Cirq Lapopie on foot as it is a small village and worth getting to know through its alleys.