Travel notebook 0

Ok

Grands Sites de Midi-Pyrénées

Welcome to the official website dedicated to Tourism in the Lot

 
 
share |
Homepage > Discover the Lot > River valleys > The Célé
Back

The Célé

The Lot's principal tributaries

 
This little river rises in the neighbouring département, Cantal, and is one of the Lot's principal tributaries. Its name comes from the Latin "celer", meaning swift, and refers to its nature in its upper reaches, where it is a fast-flowing stream.

Pech Merle cave in Cabrerets


This cave, located in the hills above the lower reaches of the Célé, is one of the most important prehistoric sites in the area, containing paintings some of which are 24, 600 years old. When you visit the cave, you see the real paintings – not a copy. For obvious reasons, the number of entries per day is limited, so do book in advance in high season. The cave system is quite large, and there are some very interesting natural concretions to be seen, as well as the art, plus some fossilised human footprints. There is a museum associated with the cave, with displays of prehistoric artefacts found locally plus a film about the paintings, and your ticket admits you to both.

 
Tél : 05 65 31 27 05
info@pechmerle.com - See the website


Soon after entering the Lot, it flows past the beautiful mediaeval city of Figeac, where a Benedictine abbey was founded in the 9th C. The monks made the most of the resource on their doorstep, industriously digging a canal to bring its water to work their mills and to supply their fishponds. To this day, there is a "canal street", where once it ran.
 

A paradise valley...

 

Further downstream, the Célé runs through the same type of limestone landscape as the Lot, on its way down to their confluence at Conduché. The valley is bordered by tall cliffs, often coloured ochre by the presence of small quantities of iron oxide, or dark greyish-black by manganese dioxide. These minerals provided the colours for Prehistoric Man's art (see inset).

 

It is a gloriously beautiful valley, lined with small villages, each more attractive than the last. Espagnac Ste. Eulalie was the site of a convent, known as "Val Paradis" – Paradise Valley – not inappropriate, one feels. Further down, Marcilhac was home to a large, rich and powerful Benedictine monastery…they certainly knew how to choose their sites.

La Vallée du Célé
Office de Tourisme Lot-Célé
05 65 31 31 31
Marcilhac  Abbey
11th and 12th century abbey, church, chapter room, ruins and enclosure, old houses. Museum of religious art.  Please ask for details of days and times of opening

More details : Office de Tourisme du Pays de Figeac : 05 65 34 06 25

Canoeing on the Célé...

 

 

Back

Follow us

Lot Tourisme
BP 7 – 46001 Cahors cedex 9

05 65 35 07 09
info@tourisme-lot.com

 

Website co-financed by the European Union. Europe is participating through the European Regional Development Fund