Things to do and places to see

If you want to do more than laze by the pool and go sightseeing, you could always……….

Play golf

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There are four golf courses within 45 minutes drive away – two 18 hole and two good nine hole courses and all offer clubs and trolleys for hire.

Play tennis

There are riverside tennis clubs in Capdenac Gare (5 minutes away) and in Figeac (10 minutes away). We can book courts for you.

Go canoeing/kayaking/rafting

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Locally on both the Lot and Cele Rivers and a little further afield on the Dordogne.

Go hiking and walking

Excellent hiking and walking country all round Figeac as well as good walks from the house.

Go cycling or mountain-biking

Bikes can be hired in Figeac.

Go fishing

You may fish anywhere in season. Permits can easily be obtained on a daily/weekly basis locally.

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Go horse riding

Two excellent riding schools nearby.

Go to market

There is a market in Figeac every Saturday, centred on the picturesque market square in the middle of the town. You can visit a market every day if you wish as all the surrounding towns and villages have their own market days.

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Watch the Tour de France

Stage 8 of the 2008 Tour de France to Toulouse will begin in Figeac on Saturday 12 July 2008

Do something cultural

Figeac grew up around the Romanesque Abbey of St Sauveur in the 9th Century and became a rich merchant city with a Royal Mint, which today houses a museum. It was also in the centre of the various power struggle wars between the English and the French and experienced the religious upheavals in France in the 16th and 17th Centuries. Figeac is very proud of its history and there is an excellent museum dedicated to it in the Hotel de Ville.

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Figeac is also the birth place of the Egyptologist, Jean-Francois Champollion, the interpreter and translator of the Rosetta Stone. A magnificent museum, dedicated to him, was opened in July 2007 and is well worth a visit.

La Grange is close to the pilgrimage route from La Puy-en-Velay in eastern France through Conques and Cahors and on to Santiago de Compostela in Spain.

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There are many famous caves in the countryside around Figeac, notably Padirac and the Grottes du Pech-Merle. Nearby castles, chateaux and the Bastide towns are also popular excursions. The historic sites of Rocamadour, Cahors, Conques and St Cirq Lapopie are also well worth a visit. All these places are among the most popular sites in France and it is best to visit them either early in the morning or later in the evening during the high season.

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The River Lot is one of the loveliest in France. Its valley meanders between white cliffs and fertile green plains. Every valley in the region has its medieval castle, prehistoric cave, hilltop village or pilgrimage site. Most also have outstanding and atmospheric restaurants.

The region is widely regarded as a gastronomic paradise. Its cuisine is famous throughout France and beyond, including dishes based on truffles, duck, goose, foie gras, cepes and other varieties of mushrooms, plums, peaches, apricots, walnuts and walnut oil. The deep red wines of Cahors were known to the Romans and have seen a lively revival in recent years. The vineyards of Cahors and Gaillac are nearby and are well worth a visit.

Go to a concert

Literary, theatre and music festivals are widespread throughout the summer months, with many being held in Figeac and in surrounding villages and towns. Cahors hosts the Festival of the Blues every July. And if you prefer classical music, numerous concerts take place throughout the summer as well as the famous Cahors and St Cere music festivals.

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