All types of routes
Lot Valley Cycle Route
Official route
J.Damase-SMBL 
J.Damase - SMBL 
Lot Tourisme - P. Foresti-Mediart 
Port de Vieillevie - Vallée du Lot à vélo J.Damase-SMBL_7237 
Lot Tourisme - Cyril Novello 
Lot Tourisme - Cyril Novello 
Lot Tourisme - P.Foresti - Mediart 
Conques Vallée du Lot à vélo J.Damase-SMBL_7410 
Flagnac - Vallée du Lot à vélo J.Damase-SMBL_7025 
Casseneuil Vallée du Lot à vélo J.Damase-SMBL_5265 
Puy-l'Evêque Vallée du Lot à vélo J.Damase-SMBL_4860 
Vignoble de Cahors Vallée du Lot à vélo J.Damase-SMBL_4758 
Aiguillon
La Canourgue
From the towns of Bordeaux or Agen, join the beautiful Lot Valley Cycle Route via the Canal des 2 Mers Cycle Route. Then, crossing extensive orchards in the county of the Lot-et-Garonne and elegant vineyards in the county of the Lot, the meandering Lot Valley véloroute passes countless traditional riverside and perched villages. From Cahors, a captivating city of art and history on the road to Compostela, the itinerary is provisional until the sportive crossing of the Aveyron department. Unless you choose the easier route to Conques. With soon a continuation towards the source in Lozere.
Signposting of the itinerary
The Lot Valley Cycle Route is fully signposted in both directions. The name ‘La Vallée du Lot à vélo’ is displayed on the signs, accompanied by an arrow
Gradients and elevation
Ascents: 3183m
Descents: 2626m
Lowest point: 24m
Highest point: 702m
Road types
449km (89%) By road
58km (11%) Cycle path
Surface
14km (3%) Smooth
493km (97%) Unknown
Trains et transport sur Lot Valley Cycle Route
Access by train:
- Aiguillon Train Station : several trains heading to Bordeaux, Agen, Toulouse.
- Monsempron-Libos Train Station : trains TER to Périgueux-Agen and to Bordeaux & Toulouse through Agen. TER Bus for Cahors.
- Cahors Train Station : trains TER to Toulouse. "Intercités" for Paris-Austerlitz.
Not to be missed on this route
The perched village of Albas
Il vaut la peine de grimper les quelques cinquante mètres qui séparent les berges du Lot du piton rocheux où se dresse le haut du village. La vieille bourgade épiscopale de l’évêché de Cahors conserve une rare élégance et offre un superbe point de vue sur la rivière et le vignoble. Le port florissant du temps de la navigation ancienne est aujourd’hui fréquenté par quelques navires de plaisance et gabarres restaurées.=
Puy L'Evêque and its hanging gardens
Aux confins du Périgord et du Quercy, ancienne place forte médiévale perchée à plus de 30 mètres au-dessus du Lot, Puy l’Évêque a fière allure. Du pont on devine son ancien port, autrefois l’un des plus important du Lot. Il faut se perdre dans ses ruelles médiévales serties de magnifiques demeures et d’anciens palais épiscopaux bâtis d’une jolie pierre dorée. Plusieurs terrasses et restaurants invitent à en faire une étape sur La vallée du Lot à vélo. Possibilité de navigation sur le Lot. Visites guidées et dégustations proposées en saison (avril-octobre) par l'Office de Tourisme.
"Accueil Vélo" accommodation on Lot Valley Cycle Route
67 Accueil Vélo accommodations await you on Lot Valley Cycle Route!
View accommodations on the map
Le projet « La Vallée du Lot à vélo » est cofinancé par l’Union européenne. L’Europe s’engage dans le Massif central avec le fonds européen de développement régional.
The 15 stages of Lot Valley Cycle Route
1 Canal des 2 mers / Clairac
This stage leads you along the Canal des 2 Mers Cycle Route to link up with the Lot Valley Cycle Route. From Bordeaux, the way is signposted, via Tonneins. Or an unofficial option goes from Agen via Damazan to Aiguillon. The Lot Valley Cycle Route officially starts at Aiguillon, at the confluence of Lot and Garonne Rivers. Set out from the north side of this village’s bridge over the Lot to relish an area full of architectural and gastronomic delights, including strawberry fields and plum orchards…
2 Aiguillon / Villeneuve sur Lot
Once you’ve taken the link along the Canal des 2 Mers Cycle Route (maybe via Tonneins), from Aiguillon, the Lot Valley Cycle Route leads you along a winding way, past old farms, dovecotes and little châteaux. Clairac, a lovely medieval village, tempts the taste buds, surrounded by strawberry fields. At Castelmoron, the extravagant town hall stands out beside the river. The town of Villeneuve-sur-Lot makes a very appealing, practical overnight stop on the Lot Valley Cycle Route.
3 Villeneuve sur Lot / Fumel
Leaving behind the impressive pink-brick churchtower of St Catherine’s in Villeneuve-sur-Lot, the cycle route meanders along quiet lanes, going past plum orchards stretching across the wide Lot Valley plain. Among recommended detours, climb to the medieval village of Penne d’Agenais to be rewarded with grand views. Further remarkable perched villages to visit include Montsempron-Libos and Fumel.
4 Fumel / Castelfranc
Once past the town of Fumel and the charming little port of Condat, this stage, leading you into the county of the Lot, alternates between quiet lanes and stretches of greenway. Smart vineyards dominate the countryside, set around elegant old wineries. The remarkable perched village of Puy-L’Évêque makes a stunning sight across the Lot as you follow the riverbank up to Castelfranc, the latter an historic, grid-planned bastide town at the confluence of Lot, Masse and Le Vert Rivers.
5 Castelfranc / Cahors
On this stage, the Lot Valley becomes wilder and more winding. A string of typical traditional villages stands out: Calstelfranc, Albas, Luzech, Parnac, Douelle, historic stops packed with character. Set in an exceptional meander in the Lot, the medieval town of Cahors grew on a major pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. Now designated a Ville d’Art et d’Histoire thanks to its cultural riches, Cahors is an unmissable staging post on the Lot Valley Cycle Route. The way meanders along country lanes, with slopes approaching Cahors.
6 Cahors / Saint-Cirq-Lapopie
We cycle between two of Occitanie's Grands Sites: Cahors and Saint-Cirq-Lapopie. Where the River Lot meanders at the foot of spectacular limestone cliffs. While waiting for the future greenway on the old railroad line, we climb from Arcambal along the pretty départementale 8, which opens onto wildly beautiful landscapes. You might as well be prepared to play with the derailleur or to equip yourself with an electrically-assisted machine. At Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, the silhouette of the medieval village so popular with surrealists looms over the valley. A real postcard. Leave your bike at the tourist office and explore the village on foot.
7 Saint-Cirq-Lapopie / Cajarc
The heart of the Lot valley stretches between the cliffs and hills of the Causse du Quercy. A beautiful cycling route on the left bank of the river, winding at the foot of white cliffs from which emerge all the shades of green of a wild vegetation. There are many tourist attractions, such as Cénevières and its castle perched above a meander, and Larnagol, another castle with a moving church on the banks of the Lot, before disembarking in the medieval circulade of old Cajarc.
8 Cajarc / Capdenac-Gare
At Cajarc, we switch to the right bank to cycle along the old railroad line, soon to be converted into a greenway. A peaceful cycling itinerary dotted with castles and authentic villages, each with its own little nuggets. From Saint-Pierre-Toirac, the more adventurous can head for the beautiful town of Figeac, so typical of the Quercy region. Other cyclists continue along the left bank of the river, which quickly leads to Capdenac-Gare, a former railway junction.
9 Capdenac-Gare / Flagnac
From Capdenac-Gare, we cycle away from the Lot towards the villages perched on the banks of the Diège river. A hint of authenticity emanates from the gradients. Before plunging down to the river for a majestic finish on the greenway that runs alongside the Lot from Bouillac to Flagnac. At the Livinhac bridge, a signposted alternative route leads to the village of Livinhac-le-Haut and its services, as well as the connection with the Cantal cycle route: La Grande traversée du volcan à vélo (V74).
10 Flagnac / Entraygues-sur-Truyère
This is where the unique character of the Lot Valley really comes into its own. Pleasant villages clinging to the banks, ancient river ports, provide a distraction from the ribbon of liquid that flows, peaceful or impetuous, between the shale hills and the Fel hillsides, offering a cameo of green or gold depending on the time of day and the season. A peaceful playground, shared with fishermen and kayakers, all the way to the confluence with the mighty Truyère! From Grand-Vabre, you can take the Voie de Conques, a variant that winds its way up the Dourdou valley.
11 Entraygues-sur-Truyère / Espalion
Here, the Lot finds its way through the rocks of the last foothills of the Massif Central and the Monts d'Aubrac to the bottom of a valley flanked by sheer cliffs. The route winds its way up the steep, winding road to Golinhac, before descending the Chemin de Saint-Jacques (GR 65) to the Lot, Estaing and Espalion. A beautiful route, but only for strong calves. From Grand-Vabre, you can take the easier "voie de Conques", which also leads to Espalion. A detour via Estaing from Espalion is highly recommended.
12 Flagnac / Villecomtal
Grand-Vabre is the starting point for the iconic Chemin de Conques, which winds its way up the Dourdou valley to Bozouls and on to Espalion. This stage is marked by the exceptional village of Conques: its Romanesque abbey church and the pilgrims' bridge, listed as a Unesco World Heritage site as part of the Pilgrim's Way to Santiago de Compostela, are worth the trip in themselves. The cycle route climbs slowly up the wide D 901. Then it's on to the small roads that meander along the Dourdou to the "rougier", the red earth that gives the buildings of Nauviale and Villecomtal their unforgettable colors.
13 Villecomtal / Espalion
We cross the "rougier" lands, dotted with colorful villages and castles scattered across the countryside. It's a winding climb through wild woods that refresh the increasingly intimate Dourdou valley as you approach the picturesque village of Rodelle. Although the cyclist's calves are put to the test, the landscapes are grandiose, particularly those of the Bozouls canyon, which leave a lasting impression. Before cycling down the old railroad line that joins the Lot at Espalion.
14 Espalion / Saint Geniez d'Olt et d'Aubrac
As the Lot stretches into its wildly beautiful upper valley, the term "Olt", derived from the old Occitan language, is commonly used here. A splendid cycling route along the river to Saint-Côme, then climbs in long twists and turns over the causse overlooking the lake at Castelnau-Lassouts-Lous to rejoin the Lot at the delightful village of Sainte-Eulalie-d'Olt. With a choice finish at Saint-Geniez-d'Olt, whose quays were once bustling with tanneries and cloth spinning mills exported all over the world.
15 Saint Geniez d'Olt et d'Aubrac / La Canourgue
Ever higher, ever more beautiful. Cycling starts on the pretty D509 along the banks of the Lot as far as Pomayrols. From there, it's a seemingly endless climb through the green twists and turns of a wild chestnut grove to the approach of Saint-Laurent-d'Olt. The route is refreshed by the "boraldes", the powerful streams that flow down from the Monts d'Aubrac. The end of the stage is more leisurely, leading to the gateway to Lozère, to La Canourgue, the "little Venice of Lozère". Welcome to Lozère, the highest department on the route and the least populated in France. What a promise! The route to Mont Lozère is currently being defined.