France September 2017

CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: The Romanesque Cathédrale
Saint-Étienne with its distinctive twin domes; A quiet
corner in the cathedral cloisters; The statue of Cahors-born
statesman Léon Gambetta in the Allées Fénelon;
The Moorish exhibit on the Secret Gardens trail
In Place Galdemar, the indoor market was
buzzing with its own trade, as stallholders vied to
sell Quercy cheeses, fresh spring fruit and vegetables,
locally reared meat, and fish caught from the River
Lot. Bottles of the famous ‘black wine’ of Cahors,
made from the deeply-coloured malbec grape, were
being squeezed into already laden shopping bags in
preparation for the long Saturday lunch.
The market extended outdoors into Place
Jean-Jacques Chapou, where white asparagus and
plump cherries weighed down the wooden tables.
At the far end, we entered the Cathédrale Saint-
Etienne, the focal point of the medieval quarter.
Like Pont Valentré, the cathedral is a Unesco
World Heritage site, as part of the Santiago de
Compostela pilgrimage trail. Most of it was built
in the 12th and early 13th centuries in the
late-Romanesque style, with two giant domes –
the largest in south-west France – perched above
its knave. Outside the cathedral’s northern gate,
my gaze was drawn toward a stone sculpture above
the door. This remarkably complete work of art,
Valérie concluded, is one of only two surviving
Romanesque sculptures in France that depict
Christ’s ascension to heaven (the other is in the
Basilique Saint-Sernin in Toulouse): a crowning
architectural jewel in a town where a new discovery
awaits around every corner.
CAHORS AT
A GLANCE
Stay the night at… the four-star Château
de Mercuès (doubles from €153,
chateaudemercues.com), a painstakingly
restored medieval château with a Michelinstarred
restaurant and stunning views over
the River Lot. The estate’s owner, Bertrand
Vigouroux, produces some of Cahors’s
finest red wines.
Stop for lunch at… Restaurant Auberge
du Vieux Cahors (menus from €15,
aubergeduvieuxcahors.com), a cosy bistro
with a small terrace in the heart of the
medieval quarter. Owners Loétitia and
Guillaume serve local specialities such as
salade Quercynoise, made with ham,
gizzards and foie gras; confit and magret de
ABOVE: A busy corner in the medieval quarter
canard; all accompanied by an impressive
range of Cahors wines.
Stop for a coffee at… L’Interlude
(30 Boulevard Léon Gambetta, tel: (Fr)
5 65 22 09 90), a perfect place to relax
after the market. A selection of tapas and
pâtisseries can be wise alternatives to
a big lunch on a hot day, and from October
to March plates of fresh oysters are served
throughout the afternoon.
WHERE TO VISIT
● Discover Cahors from the water with
Les Crosières Fénelon, a relaxing river
cruise that departs from Pont Valentré and
snakes its way upstream, along the
meander in the Lot within which Cahors
nestles, through peaceful locks and past
ancient dovecotes, before returning home
(at least three cruises daily, from May to
September, bateau-cahors.com).
● The Musée de la Résistance, de la
Déportation et de la Libération du
Département du Lot is as complete
an examination of life in Nazi-occupied
Cahors as its name suggests. Six exhibition
halls take you back to the origins of the
Resistance movement and its eventual role
54 FRANCE MAGAZINE www.completefrance.com