The Lot, France 2024 with Carole

Culture & History

Fly from Vancouver to Paris where you can spend a few days, on your outbound or inbound flight, if you would like to visit the best tourist attractions of Paris then fly to Brive – la – Gallarde.

Then you will have to rent a car to be able to get to Aynac, where I rented a beautiful house for my family vacation.

Aynac is a French commune located in the northeast of the Lot department, in the Occitanie region. It is also in Limargue, a natural region occupying a green depression between Les Causses du Quercy and Le Ségala quercynois.

Exposed to an altered oceanic climate, it is drained by the Aynac Stream and various other small rivers. Included in the Dordogne basin, the commune has a remarkable natural heritage composed of a natural area of ecological, fauna and flora interest.

Aynac is a rural commune which has 556 inhabitants in 2021, after having experienced a population peak of 1,510 inhabitants in 1851. It is part of the Biars-sur-Cère - Saint-Céré catchment area. Its inhabitants are called Aynacois or Aynacoises.

Aynac is located 67 km northeast of Cahors (capital of Lot), 13 km southeast of the Gouffre de Padirac and 22 km southeast of Rocamadour.

It covers 2,145 hectares, on the very first foothills of the Massif Central.

The town is at an altitude of 350 meters and the town is between 324 meters and 607 meters.

In 655, Aynac was a vicarage. The Aynac region was the subject of rivalries between neighboring lords, the "Castelnau" and the "Cardaillac". Then Aynac passed to Viscount de Turenne. Thus, from 1399 to the beginning of the 20th century, the Château d'Aynac belonged to the branch of the "Turenne", descendants of Roger de Beaufort. Aynac was fairly spared during the Hundred Years' War and the wars of religion. In 1790, Aynac became a commune and even the capital of the canton. It lost this quality in 1820 to the benefit of Lacapelle-Marival.

During the Second World War, the town was a center of resistance, a communication crossroads between the groups of the Maquis du Causse and the Ségala. However, despite a few machine gun bursts against the "Souillac" restaurant (currently "Café des sports") and the cross, Aynac was spared the raids and fires of 1944 that the surrounding villages experienced.

Climate

MONTHS	JAN	FEB	MAR	APR	MAY	JUN	JUL	AUG	SEPT	OCT	NOV	DEC	YEAR
Average Minimum Temperatures (Celsus)	2	2	4	6	10	12	14	14	11	9	5	2	7.58
Average Temperatures (Celsus)	5.5	6.5	9	11.5	15.5	18.5	20.5	20.5	17.5	14	8.5	5.5	12.75
Average Maximum Temperatures (Celsus)	9	11	14	17	21	25	27	27	24	19	12	9	17.92
Average precipitation (mm)	68	68	63	78	93	81	60	67	76	82	72	75	883
Average Sunshine (hours)	89	107	151	176	199	239	283	247	209	163	102	91	2056

To Visit or See:

Château d'Aynac, classified as a historic monument in 1988, The Castle became private in 2008.
Saint-Geniès Church from the 12th century, was classified as a historic monument in 1913. Several objects are referenced in the Palissy database.
Aynac ponds.
Caves dug by man near Aubiac (in the 20th century, there was a small barite mine).
Underground tunnel from Lagauzinie to the village (closed for security reasons).
Castle called “Lagauzinie”.
Caves dug by water towards Laubrespic.
Hoarded house dating from the 18th century.

Calès is a village that offers a breathtaking view of the Causses du Quercy Regional Natural Park.

You will be ideally located to visit the many exceptional sites available to you.

You can pleasantly stay in the land of gastronomy, in the heart of nature and under the starry sky of Calès.

Come and discover Calès, a charming Lotois village located at an altitude of 277 meters, in the heart of the Causses du Quercy Regional Natural Park, labeled “Global Geopark” as a UNESCO heritage site, offering magnificent landscapes, numerous hiking trails, and dream roads, especially for bikers. The St-Jacques Church and the fortified mill of Cougnaguet also make it famous.

Calès is also ideally located for visiting prestigious sites steeped in history such as Rocamadour, the Lacave caves, the Gouffre de Padirac, the medieval town of Gourdon, the villages of Martel, Carennac, Loubressac, St Cirq Lapopie... not far from the Cahors wine route, Figeac, the Grottes de Lascaux, Sarlat, and Collonges la Rouge... and many other places.

Rocamadour is unmissable, the village of Rocamadour is built in successive levels on the side of a cliff, 120 meters above a canyon where the Alzou, a tributary of the Dordogne, flows. Its houses, roofs and churches seem to be part of the rock.

In the Middle Ages, Rocamadour aroused admiration. In the 12th century, pilgrims traveled all over Europe to come and pray here.

Today the religious city of Rocamadour is listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Observe the stars: The “best sky in mainland France” is found in the Causses du Quercy.

A triangular-shaped area, located in the heart of the park, is one of the best-preserved sites from light pollution in France. Stars, planets, Milky Way… you won’t find a better place to observe them!

The village of Calès is labeled with 2 stars for observing the night sky.

Hiking: Beyond the many sites to visit, there is no shortage of activities around Aynac.
In the past, many paths were used mainly by herds.

To get a taste of nature, hundreds of kilometers of trails crisscross the Lot department and offer you numerous circuits, on foot, by bike or mountain bike.

Canoe-Kayac: An unmissable activity in the Dordogne Valley, sliding down the river leaves travelers with an unforgettable memory.

With its calm, clear waters ideal for canoeing and swimming, the Dordogne River is recognized as a World Biosphere Reserve by UNESCO.

Hot air balloon: Hot air balloon flights offer an unforgettable experience and an exceptional view of the Causses du Quercy Regional Natural Park.

For 30 years, the 4th weekend of September, the Montgolfiades de Rocamadour took place. At the heart of a dizzying site, surrounded by vertical cliffs and a sweeping 360° panorama, hundreds of hot air balloons take off from all horizons. An unmissable and unique event in Europe!

Theme parks: Many theme parks are also located in the area: The Préhisto Dino Parc (Lacave), the Quercyland water park, the Labyrinthe de l'Ermite (Souillac), the Rocher des Aigles Ecoparc and the Monkey’s Forest (Rocamadour), the Haut-Quercy tourist railway and Reptiland (Martel), to name but a few.

Gastronomy: The Lot is distinguished by its gastronomy. Magnificent markets (Martel, Cahors...), six starred restaurants (including 2 nearby), fatty duck, Quercy lamb, Rocamadour cheese, truffles, Quercy melon, Saffron, Walnuts, and many others.

The reputation of Cahors wine (Malbec) adds to this gastronomic journey that is the Lot.