|   La Galerie, 1km from the
village of Catus, is in the Pays Bouriane region
of the Lot, in the Midi-Pyrénées in
southwest France. Cahors, the capital of the Lot,
is situated
on the river Lot and is 15km away. The beautiful town of Sarlat-la-Caneda, north of Catus across the Dordogne river, situated in the Dordogne, with its many attractive bastide towns, vineyards and riverside activities, is just 25km away. The Lot was part of the medieval province of Quercy, the Quercy blanc to the south and the Quercy noir to the north, with the river Dordogne to the north, the river Tarn to the south and the river Lot running through the centre.
 
The River Vert runs through the charming village
of Catus, once a fortified town, which boasts
a beautiful, historic 16th-century church. The
village has many amenities, these include a post
office,
a bank, a small supermarket, a bakery,
a butcher, a pharmacy, a newsagent, a florist,
a hair salon, a tourist office, an estate agency, a restaurant, a bar
and
a popular market on Tuesdays mornings.
 
La
Galerie is 1km from a leisure lake and beach - the "Lac Vert" leisure complex. As well
as swimming and fishing in the lake, there are
pedaloes and canoes for hire. It also has a lakeside
café bar by the beach, and two restaurants
with views overlooking the water. Free activities
at the lake include two floodlit tennis courts,
a basketball / five-a-side football court, a football
pitch, volleyball and table tennis.
 
The local area has a wonderful choice of places
to eat. There are two outstanding restaurants less
than ten minutes away from La Galerie; Restaurant Le Gindreau in the
neighbouring
village of St.Medard and La Recreation in the
nearby
village of Les Arques. (Pre-booking is advisable in the summer months.) Cahors, to the east, also has many good restaurants, bistros,
pizzerias and café bars, and to the west the larger villages of Prayssac and Puy-l’Évêque also have cafés and restaurants.
 
Throughout the summer months, you will always find
festivals and fêtes to visit in the local
area. The fêtes celebrate everything from
local produce to medieval times - and music and
wine always seem to be flowing freely...
 
The largest market in the region is in Cahors (Wednesdays
and Saturdays) and is well worth the visit. It
takes place in the old part of the town around
the cathedral, and has an excellent range of
local produce on offer - including many local wines
and
cheeses. Cahors has a good selection of shops,
cafés, bars, restaurants, museums, galleries
and historic architecture.
 
The beautiful 14th-century "Pont Valentre" spans
the river Lot and is the symbol of Cahors. It is
the only fortified bridge in the world with three
towers. We recommend exploring the River Lot from the water.
There are many river boat trips and boats for hire,
including canoeing and kayaking. Other popular
sporting activities in the area are rambling, horse
riding and mountain biking.
 
Cahors is well-known for its deep ruby-red wines.
Wine-lovers will find numerous châteaux and
vineyards all along the picturesque Lot valley.
The producers are very happy to let you taste the
wines
and will sell to you directly from their
caves. There is a vineyard trail from the west
of Cahors along the Lot valley to the beautiful
medieval town of
Puy-l’Évêque.
 
To the east of Cahors, sitting high above the Lot valley is Saint Cirq-Lapopie. The village has a maze
of lanes filled with interesting craft shops, galleries
and restaurants. As you meander between the attractive
half-timbered, stone houses, there are many stunning
views to enjoy of the Lot valley far below.
 
Another "must see" village in the area
is Rocamadour. It is
the most popular site in the Lot. From the château
and ramparts, which are at the highest point, look
down upon the sanctuary, churches and houses that
cling to the rocks below, all nestling in the Alzou
Gorge. Nearby, visit some of the famous grottos and caves
in the Causse du Quercy - the 103 metre underground river of the Gouffre de Padirac. And many others including the Grotte du Pech-Merle have prehistoric
paintings and engravings on display.
 
Other towns of interest in the Lot are Gourdon, Figeac and Castelnau Montratier. Between Cahors and Toulouse is Montauban. The pedestrian streets of this pink brick city will lead you to the 17th century “Place Nationale”, with it’s four magnificent façades of brick, the heart of this historical city, where you can stroll and shop under it’s surrounding arcades and enjoy the many cafes in the square. The magnificent historic fortified walled city of Carcassonne is situated south of Toulouse and
is another city worth visiting.
 
The “pink city” of Toulouse is also
well worth a visit, and is now a huge aerospace centre
with regular Airbus tours. Toulouse airport is
a
growing international airport. Other local international
airports include the smaller Bergerac airport and
Rodez airport and also Bordeaux airport with links
from Paris and other major European airports, transfer
times from these airports is between 1 and 2 hours.
The highest bridge structure in the world, the new Millau Bridge, taller than the Eiffel Tower, is a spectacular site, spanning the River Tarn. Rising above the clouds from the Tarn Gorge below, it is now a major tourist site in the region.
  
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