Trails and paths of Quercy: walking routes from Les Hauts de Sauliès

The Towpath – departure from Bouziès at 24 min

Saint-Cirq-Lapopie via the towpath
This walk between the banks of the Lot, the towpath, and the Causse plateaus offers a condensed view of nature and heritage. You can admire the cliffs, the reflections of the medieval village of Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, and the peaceful calm of Quercy.
The poet André Breton, captivated by the beauty of the place in 1950, made it his summer retreat, declaring: “I no longer long to be anywhere else.” You can swim in the Lot at the village beach, but be careful: the towpath can be flooded during periods of heavy rain.
📖 Topoguide

Circular route – Via Causs’mos – departure from Vers at 9 min

Via Causs’Mos – Art in the heart of the Lot, Célé, and Vers valleys
Via Causs’Mos offers a unique artistic and sensory experience in the heart of the Lot, Célé, and Vers valleys. In three stages covering around 20 kilometers, this circular route takes you through the Causses de Gramat, Saint-Chels and Limogne, where you can discover unspoiled nature and authentic rural heritage.
Along the way, contemporary works of art line the path, inviting contemplation and dialogue between creation and landscape. A stroll between art and nature, to be enjoyed at your own pace.
📖 Topographical guide

💡 Suggestion: You can just follow the first stage, a beautiful 5km walk along the Vers river, which takes 2.5 hours there and back.

In Vercingetorix (Vers-Saint-Gery-Vers) – departure from Vers at 9 a.m.

Vercingéry – Vers Valley and panoramic views of the Lot
This dynamic and exotic route offers a superb climb along the Vers Valley, between wild nature and green landscapes. The trail then climbs up onto the limestone plateau, revealing spectacular panoramic views of Saint-Géry and the Lot Valley.
Combining effort, discovery, and wonder, this circuit combines athletic hiking with visual pleasure, ideal for lovers of wide open spaces and breathtaking panoramas.
📖 Topoguide

The pointed rock (Saint Gery) – departure from Saint Gery at 5:00 p.m.

Saint-Géry
panoramic circuit Overlooking the charming village of Saint-Géry, this elevated route offers magnificent views of the Lot valley and its limestone cliffs. With its steep paths, unspoiled nature, and breathtaking panoramas, this walk invites you to contemplate and find serenity in the heart of the Quercy landscape.
📖 Topoguide

Let’s go and see La Rauze (Francoulès) – departure from Francoulès at 10 min

Rauze Valley Trail – Unspoiled nature and biodiversity
Ideal for cool mornings, this peaceful trail runs along the Rauze Valley, an exceptional natural site classified as a Natura 2000 area. Between cliffs and forests, it offers an immersion into the heart of a preserved ecosystem that is home to bats, crayfish, dragonflies, butterflies, and rare orchids.
Accessible to horse riders and mountain bikers, this route invites you to discover nature in a gentle and respectful way, but it should be avoided in the event of thunderstorms during the summer.
📖 Topographical guide

Circuit des Arts (Laroque des Arcs) – departure from Laroque des Arcs at 6:00 p.m.

Cahors Ancient Aqueduct Sports
Trail Starting at the Récollets Church, this challenging trail passes through the towns of Laroque-des-Arcs, Valroufié, and Lamagdelaine, offering a variety of landscapes including valleys, plateaus, and remarkable viewpoints.
The route follows in the footsteps of the Gallo-Roman aqueduct of Divona Cadurcorum, built in the 1st century to carry water from a spring in Vers to Cahors over a distance of 32 km. Combining ancient history and unspoiled nature, this hike is a blend of effort, discovery and emotion.
⚠️ Caution: technical and slippery descent on the return to the Saint-Roch chapel, between points 7 and D.
📖 Topographical guide

Cahors along the banks of the Lot – departure from the Valentré bridge (Cahors) at 27 min

From bridges to gardens – A stroll through the heart of Cahors
A gentle walk along the banks of the Lot River, connecting the city’s two landmarks: the Valentré Bridge, a medieval masterpiece listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site, and Saint-Étienne Cathedral. This tour invites you to discover the hidden treasures of Cahors—secret gardens, ancient alleyways, and Renaissance facades—in a peaceful atmosphere along the water.
📖 Topoguide

The Mont Saint-Cyr Circuit – starting from the Saint-Georges car park (Cahors) at 27 min

Mont Saint-Cyr and the panoramic views of Cahors
From the heights of Camp des Monges to the Mont Saint-Cyr viewpoint, this trail offers a succession of exceptional views over the Lot river loop and the medieval town. You can see the pink roofs of old Cahors, the cathedral and its domes, and the old ramparts that have become Boulevard Gambetta.
⚠️ Trail can be slippery in wet weather—follow the yellow markings (PR) for a safe route.
📖 Topographical guide

Cahors and boating on the Lot River – departure from the Saint-Georges parking lot (Cahors) at 27 min

Cahors along the Lot River – between navigation and heritage
This walk takes you past the city’s bridges, locks, and quays, retracing the river life of Cahors. Between secret gardens, medieval monuments, and reflections on the Lot River, it is both a historical and bucolic experience, perfect for capturing the symbiosis between the city and its river.

On the heights of Saint-Cirq-Lapopie – departure from Saint-Cirq Lapopie at 33 min

The heights of Saint-Cirq-Lapopie – Geology and panoramas of Quercy
This circuit invites you to explore the geological and landscape heritage of Quercy, between valleys and limestone plateaus. From the heights, an unusual view of Saint-Cirq-Lapopie opens up, revealing the beauty and diversity of the Causse landscapes. Discover it with the geological guide to the Causses du Quercy or the “Circuits Lot & Dordogne” app, for a complete immersion in this UNESCO Global Geopark.
📖 Topographical guide

Marcilhac stone hut trail – starting from Marcilhac sur Célé, 35 minutes away

The caselles of Marcilhac – Dry stone walls and rural heritage
On the Causse plateau, not far from the ruins of the Romanesque abbey, lies a remarkable natural area: the caselles, dry stone huts built in the 19th century. These structures are a testament to rural ingenuity and ancestral know-how. Their preserved environment is part of the Natura 2000 network, dedicated to protecting the ecosystems of the Lot region.
⚠️ Please note: another 18 km trail starts from the same point.
📖 Topographical guide

The cliff trail known as the Sentier des Anglais (English Trail) – starting point in Brengues, 40 minutes away

The English Trail – Fortress and cliffs of the Célé
After climbing up the hillside and passing through a fortified gate, the hike leads to the spectacular “Château des Anglais,” a troglodytic fortification clinging to the cliff. Some of these sites date back to the 11th century and served as strategic retreats for lords and villagers in case of attack. A real lesson in history and living geology.
⚠️ A shorter 8 km circuit shares the same starting point.
📖 Topographical guide

The Priory Walk – starting from Espagnac Sainte Eulalie, 40 minutes away

The Célé Valley – From the Val-Paradis Priory to Sainte-Eulalie
This route follows the river before climbing up onto the limestone plateau, offering spectacular views of the Célé Valley. The route connects the Val-Paradis Priory to the church of Sainte-Eulalie, near a prehistoric cave, symbolizing the ancestral link between man and nature in these isolated valleys.
🚴 Route accessible to mountain bikes – please respect natural sites and private property.
📖 Topographical guide

Autoire valley circuit – starting from Autoire, 59 minutes away

The Autoire Gorge – Waterfall and Château des Anglais
This exceptional site, formed by a deep indentation in the Gramat limestone plateau, is home to the famous Château des Anglais and the Autoire waterfall, the highest in the Lot department. The trail crosses steep terrain and reveals a rare geological phenomenon: the distension of limestone layers creating two parallel faults.
⚠️ Difficult trail – risk of falling, unstable rocks, no throwing stones. Avoid during storms, strong winds or thaws.
📖 Topographical guide

The Via Podiensis (GR®65) – The main pilgrimage route

This is one of the four major French routes to Santiago de Compostela. It connects Le Puy-en-Velay to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, then Spain, and crosses the Lot department for nearly 200 km, from the Causse de Limogne to Montcuq.
➡️ Lot route: Montredon – Figeac – Cajarc – Limogne-en-Quercy – Lalbenque – Cahors – Lascabanes – Montcuq – Montlauzun

The Célé Trail (GR®651) – A wilder and more contemplative alternative

A few kilometers after Figeac, walkers have an alternative: the GR®651, a more natural, intimate, and unspoiled route that runs along the Célé Valley to Bouziès before joining the GR®65 in Cahors. This route, marked by several trails, stretches for nearly 120 km between Figeac and Cahors.
➡️ Route: Béduer – Espagnac-Sainte-Eulalie – Marcilhac-sur-Célé – Sauliac – Cabrerets – Bouziès

The Rocamadour Trail, the GR®6

This variant connects the GR®65 to the sacred city of Rocamadour, a major pilgrimage site.
➡️ Route: Figeac – Lacapelle-Marival – Gramat – Rocamadour – Souillac

Stretching 1,360 km between Saint-Paul-sur-Ubaye and Arcachon, the GR®6 crosses the Lot from east to west, from Figeac to Souillac, passing through Lacapelle-Marival and Rocamadour. Connected to the Puy-en-Velay route (GR®65), it offers pilgrims a stopover on their way to the sacred city of Rocamadour, before continuing either to Sarlat and the Dordogne, or on to Cahors to rejoin the Via Podiensis.
The Rocamadour route stretches for nearly 300 km, from Figeac to La Romieu, via Agen. It follows several marked trails: the GR®6, GR®64, and GR®652.

The GR®46, from Rocamadour to Saint-Cirq-Lapopie

This beautiful section crosses the Causses du Quercy Regional Natural Park, classified as a UNESCO Global Geopark.
➡️ Route: Rocamadour – Labastide-Murat – Vers – Saint-Cirq-Lapopie