The beautiful wine-making region of Lot that surrounds the medieval aged town of Cahors is mostly undiscovered by the British tourist. Set in the south west of France, it is around two and a half hours drive from Bordeaux to the west and about an hour from Toulouse to the south. The region is a real gem amongst the many areas of France that are notable for their natural beauty and fantastic cuisine. For now, however, it is a countryside haven with much to offer the summer holiday villa resident.

There is a scattering of privately owned holiday villas available for rent in the area, but they tend to be rather remote. Whilst this is terribly romantic and relaxing, should you desire to neglect the pool and holiday novel combination for an afternoon and experience the charming local markets, wonderful restaurants, vineyard tours or the nearby medieval towns, it will be absolutely necessary to have a car, so have a look at the Holiday Autos for their latest deals for car hire before you depart. Most of the good villas have websites too and can be found on Holiday Lettings.
 

Within the town itself there are several notable historical sites not to be missed. The Valentré Bridge, built in the 14th century, is a stunning symbol of the town’s historical importance and La Cathedrale Saint-Étienne de Cahors is an impressive stately mixture of gothic and romantic architecture.

The local cuisine, whilst rural, is some of the best in France. Traditionally, it is unusual to be able to choose dishes à la carte and there is most often a set menu of six or seven courses, adding a pleasing element of surprise to the restaurant experience. The wine is cheap and plentiful and somehow works its way into the meal in the form of some surprising traditions. With onion soup, for example, it is customary that the men should savour the last few drops of the dish by adding wine and drinking it straight from the bowl. The waitors are often insistent on visitors, especially foreigners, adhering to such customs and failure to do so could result in poor service for the rest of the evening!

The wine of the region is exported world-wide and well worth a taste. It is available for your enjoyment around the charming local markets, in specialist shops within the town or in one of the nearby Michelin starred restaurants such as Le Vinois or La Balandre. Contact details for all these can be found at Mairie Cahors.

Cahors is served mostly by the airport at Toulouse, which is around an hour away from the centre of the town, another good reason to have a hire car. Cheap flights can be found on Cheapflights.co.uk. Happy travelling.