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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

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.