Cahors is a small, historic city in the bend of the Lot River in the Central Massif. From the early Middle Ages it was an important wine center and a stop for pilgrims on the way to Santiago de Compostela. Along with the French section of this route is inscribed on the UNESCO list.
Natural conditions and defensive location in the bend of the river meant that the first settlement on the site of today's Cahors was founded in ancient times by the Celts. Then the Romans had their stronghold here, which led to the development of the area as a shopping center. After a period of decline, Cahors was revived quickly as the seat of the bishop and an important point on the pilgrimage map of the roads leading to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. It was then, until the devastating Hundred Years War, the city experienced its golden age.
The testimony and souvenir of this time is the Romanesque cathedral in Cahors and numerous medieval churches. Many stone houses and the medieval urban layout have also been preserved. A valuable monument of engineering art is the Valentré stone bridge built in the years 1308-1378 over the Lot river.
Traditions of making wine in Cahors and its surroundings date back to the 7th century. Dark wines produced here called vin noir, which were very often bought, including in England and Eastern Europe. Although in the nineteenth century, due to vine disease, these crops declined, since the second half of the twentieth century there was a revival and the surrounding hills are again overgrown with vineyards. The picturesque area invites to hiking, and from the nearby Mont Saint-Cyr hill you can admire the beautiful panorama of Cahors and the Lot valley.
