Le Belvédère

The department le Lot is situated in the Quercy. This is a region that borders on the Périgord (to the north) and the Auvergne (to the east). In the south the Quercy borders the Armagnac. Our house lies a little north of the river Lot, an area also called the haut Quercy.

It is a border area and that makes the area all the more interesting. The "Causse" an undulating limestone plain formed by the sea on the west side and at the beginning the "Massif Central" The mountain country is formed from the magma on the east side.

All this offers a great variety of landscapes and culture. The climate is influenced on one side by the Atlantic Ocean and on the south side by the Pyrenees. The mountainous country to the east also has its influence.

All this makes for a weather characterised by warm summers and mild winters. Spring can arrive as early as the beginning of March, while autumn can last until the end of October.

The so-called wind chill factor is considerably higher here than in other parts of the south of France. This is partly due to the fact that this area is located in the lee of the Pyrenees, so there is relatively little wind. At the most there is a mistral wind at noon, but this gives a delicious coolness in summer.

Because of this lee, the autumn here is certainly unique, the leaves mainly rot from the trees while in the north they are blown off the trees by various autumn storms. The colouring here is really very special.

The department of Lot is known for its cosy country restaurants, and is said to have one of the better kitchens of France. The kitchen has many specialties, such as "Confit de Canard" and "Magret de Canard". Furthermore, the Lot is known for its delicious pastries and world famous nut cakes.

The valley of the Lot river is very rich in nature and culture. After Paris, this is the oldest area of France and recently (end of 1999) caves were found in this area. (end 1999) caves from prehistoric times have been found here. One can find hundreds, if not thousands of different insects, flowers, fossils and birds in this area.

This impressive nature will certainly guarantee you a very relaxing holiday in the most beautiful region of France.
There is also the possibility of making very beautiful and culturally interesting walks. One of those walks will take you to the world famous castle "Chateau Bonnaquill".

You can also make several walks from the house on old pilgrim paths (which also go to Santiago de Compostella). At a distance of 3 kilometres from the house you will also find the remains of an old pilgrim church. The flora and fauna you will certainly get to know of Europe's "most beautiful" country