Studio for max. 3 persons
Gourdon, Midi-Pyrenees, (Lot), France

Historic Gourdon

Our beautifully restored house (some parts dating from the 12th century) is in the heart of historic Gourdon with its medieval streets and houses. Gourdon is situated in the Lot, a 15 minute drive from the border with the Dordogne. The town is easily accessible by car (a 12 mile drive from the A20) or by train from Paris. The station is a 15 minute walk from the house. The nearest airports are at Brive, Bergerac, Limoges and Toulouse. We can advise re car rental if required.Restaurants, bars and shops are a five minute walk away.Languages spoken: English, FrenchThe House is in Rue du Cardinal Farinié on the side of the hill which dominates the town and which is crowned by the 14th century church of St Pierre. Our house, Valentines, is surrounded by medieval buildings with their pointed arches and towers, creamy stone facades and red tiled roofs.We have off street parking (first come first served!) in the front drive and a lockable front gate. Public parking is nearby.

In renovating the house we have taken care to preserve original features and its historic character whilst also providing modern comforts. The furnishings and paintings also reflect this blend of antique and modern. There is satellite TV and wi-fi in the Gite. The modern kitchen looks out onto the garden and terrace.

The front garden at Valentines with its flower beds, lawn and ancient acacia tree, has a terrace for outdoor dining for the exclusive use of guests.

Parts of the house date from the 12th century and are built of honeyed local stone. The Gite has tiled floors with rugs, wall hangings and paintings.

Gourdon is stone’s throw from the major tourist attractions of the Lot and the Dordogne. Lake and Dordogne river swimming are nearby.  Here are some highlights and some lesser known places worth a visit:

Gouffre de PadiracOne of the most famous underground cavern sites in France. You take 2 lifts to descend the vertiginous ‘well’, the impressive chasm you will have seen from surface. Towards the end of the 19th century violent flooding of the underground river opened up a passage from the bottom of the ‘well’ to the spectacular underground galleries. So far 22km of tunnels and galleries have been discovered. When you reach the underground river you take a flat bottiomed boat with a ‘gondolier’/guide.  You then walk on past many wonders to end up at the Salle du Grand Dome, the largest and most beautiful of the Padirac caverns.

Rocamadour One of the most extraordinary sites in France, this sanctuary and famous place of pilgrimage clings to the rock face 150m above the Alzou Canyon. Henry Plantagenet, King of England from 1154 until 1189, was one of the first pilgrims to come to Rocamadour in search of a miraculous cure.

Sarlat la Canéda Sarlat is a pretty and well preserved historic town with narrow medieval streets and handsome Gothic and Renaissance houses, mainly rebuilt between 1450 and 1500 when Charles Vll bestowed privileges upon Sarlat to thank its population for their resistance against the English.

Les Arques In 1934 the sculptor Ossip Zadkine (1890-1967) and his artist wife Valentine Prax (1897-1981) fell in love with this charming village and bought a house there. There is now a wonderful museum, Musée Zadkine (bronzes, tapestries, wood sculptures, lithographs) to visit. In the Romanesque church there is an enormous Zadkine crucifix and a stunning pieta. Les Arques has a very good restaurant, La Récréation (05 65 22 88 08) and a more modest tea room.

GourdonAnd quite apart from all there is to see and explore in the area is the historic hill town of Gourdon itself with its medieval streets, twisting narrow lanes, splendid Renaissance stone houses and fortified gateway at one end of the rue du Majou. At the top of the hill, where the castle once stood, there is a superb view stretching for miles. 

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