48 hours in and around Figeac

The sous-préfecture, with its long history of minting coins under Philippe le Bel, has kept its soul, but also and above all its architecture, both in the layout of its streets and in its old houses. Around the Place de la Halle, you can stroll with your nose in the air and your eyes on the cobblestones of some of the sloping streets. Admire the harmony of stone houses with tiled and half-timbered roofs, stop in front of the churches of Notre-Dame-du-Puy and Saint-Sauveur, and rest on the banks of the Célé, looking for a breath of fresh air in keeping with the serenity that has lasted for seven centuries.nity that has lasted for seven centuries, despite a few torments - during the Wars of Religion, the Revolution, and above all during the Second World War, when the town was an important hotbed of the Resistance, harshly repressed in May 1944. The town was awarded the Croix de Guerre in 1948.

Figeac is also a town of good food, in the heart of the gourmet Quercy region, where geese and ducks are so loved. The big names in foie gras are present here, and restaurant life has come alive in recent years. The influx of tourists owes as much to the appeal of the Middle Ages as to the gastronomic reputation of Figeac, classified as ae "ville d'art et d'histoire" and the "Grand Site Occitanie" label. Among the many personalities who have contributed to Figeac's history and renown are Jean-François Champollion, the Egyptologist and decipherer of hieroglyphs, whose museum is the town's most visited site, and Charles Boyer, thea French lover adored by Americans in the 1940s, who worked with the greatest directors (Lubitsch, Cukor, Lang...) and held the most beautiful Hollywood actresses in his arms (Hedy Lamarr, Irene Dunne, Ingrid Bergman and Lauren Bacall).

Figeac is also an excellent base from which to explore some of the department's most remarkable sites. Rocamadour is just 30 minutes away. A village clinging to its cliff overlooking the Alzou, an important religious site (the pilgrimage to the Black Madonna takes place every August), its remarkable medieval architecture makes it one of the "most beautiful villages in France". Gourmets also know Rocamadour by its PDO goat's cheese.

Nearby, visit the prehistoric cave of Les Merveilles and the famous Forêt des Singes zoo. Gramat, which gives its name to the causse that forms this spectacular landscape, is a lively little town with many good food shops. Finally, a dozen kilometers from Gramat or Rocamadour, you can't miss the famous Gouffre de Padirac site, with its unmissable boat ride between the stalactites.