Cycling holidays from Agen to Sarlat.
Discover the South west of France between Lot-et-Garonne and Dordogne. These two areas reflect all the values that create the region’s atmosphere. It is offering to its visitors a mosaic of preserved landscapes with an amazing diversity. Start your bike tour in Agen, a friendly and lively town renowned for its canal bridge, which is the second longest in France and its famous prunes. Cycle through medieval towns and discover fortified castles and pretty villages such as Monpazier, La Roque Gageac and Sarlat, which is classified as one of the most beautiful villages of France. Ride on gentle rolling hills and fertile valleys through wild wood and pine forest. Authentic and convivial, these areas are ideal for green tourist lovers. The gastronomy and local food are part of their identity. So don’t miss to taste the typical dishes of the region as black truffles, mushrooms, foie gras and duck confit. They are all renowned worldwide.
Day 1: Arrival in Agen
Arrive at your 3*** hotel in Agen, where you will find the road book and bikes waiting for you. Agen is a beautiful town and the capital of the prune. It is situated half way between Bordeaux and Toulouse and with 2000 years of history it offers a few interesting locations to discover. Stroll through the medieval streets and along the elegant boulevards from the 19th century and visit the Museum of Beaux-Arts (fine arts) that shows five Goya paintings. Its vibrant city center offers shops and services and the farmers' markets are a showcase of local products like foie gras, fruit, vegetables, and of course, prunes!
Day 2: Agen > Villeneuve-sur-Lot, ~45 km
Your first cycle tour takes you from Agen to the medieval town of Villeneuve-sur-Lot. You are cycling on beautiful countryside roads. Take the time to visit the “Foie Gras museum” and discover all the secrets of its fabrication! Many farms open their doors in the area. Then the itinerary takes you to Penne d’Agenais one of the most beautiful villages here in the south west. Today’s destination Villeneuve-sur-Lot is a charming fortified town in Lot-et-Garonne and was built on the two banks of the Lot River between 1251 and 1264. The background was a feudal treaty between “Alphonse de Poitiers”, representing the French king and the powerful Benedictine Abbey of Eysses. Listed among the largest and most powerful fortified towns in the south west, Villeneuve-sur-Lot has a rich heritage to be discovered: the main square, the towers of Pujols and Paris, half-timbered houses from the 17th and 18th centuries and the Cieutat Bridge. And the night you will spend in a charming 4**** hotel.
Day 3: Villeneuve-sur-Lot > Monpazier, ~50 km
This cycling day pursues its itinerary towards the fortified town of Monflanquin that is also classified as one of the most beautiful villages of France. Afterwards you are cycling through a wooden area and reach the fortress of Gavaudun, which is on the border line between the Perigord and the Lot Valley area. Take the time to visit it and head towards Biron where a fortified castle awaits you. Enjoy a pleasant end of the itinerary in a typical Perigord landscape with forest of chestnuts and oaks and stone walls with earth tones and discover the remarkable medieval town of Monpazier, another village classified as one of the most beautiful villages of France. Monpazier is the best preserved fortified town of the Perigord with not less than 32 classified monuments. It was built in 1284, under the reign of King Edward 1st of England and is an authentic jewel of medieval architecture.
Day 4: Monpazier > Siorac or St-Cyprien, ~44-48 km
This time your cycling holiday takes you along the ‘route of the fortified towns’. You will discover the English fortified towns of the 13th century and also some remarkable religious monuments. Take the time to admire the ‘cloister of Cadouin’ a UNESCO World Heritage site. You will end your cycling day in the Black Périgord’, the most famous area of the Dordogne. The name ‘Black Périgord’ refers to the high density of green oaks whose foliage is dense, dark and persistent. It is famous for its castles, its prehistoric sites, its medieval villages and its landscapes.
Day 5: Siorac or St-Cyprien > Sarlat, ~40-45 km
Immerse yourself in the heart of the Black Perigord and discover the most beautiful castles of the Valley. Les Milandes, Castelnaud or Beynac open their doors for you! Cycle alongside the Dordogne and enjoy the beautiful medieval villages of France. Located at the foot of a cliff, the ‘Roque Gageac’ will amaze you. Then you ride on to Sarlat, the gastronomic capital of the Black Perigord where you can enjoy the brilliant regional cuisine with foie gras, truffles and duck. And Sarlat is also one of the jewels of the Black Perigord which preserved the footprints of its history. Classified as a city of art and history, it was built during the ninth century around a large Benedictine abbey. The riches of its architectural heritage make its excellent reputation. Its narrow streets, its vaulted passage, its cathedral and its mansions of the fifteenth and sixteenth century will surprise you. The medieval city is also renowned for its largest number of classified and listed historical monuments.
Day 6: Around Sarlat, ~45 km
Today gives the opportunity to cycle into the heart of the Vezere Valley which is famous for its prehistoric treasures! Depending on what you fancy, you can discover numerous caves, deposits or rock shelters. The prehistory as a science was born here in ‘Les Eyzies’ where famous prehistorians like Peyrony, Lartet and Capitan developed it. And so it was here that they discovered the Cro-Magnon man and that so many marvels of prehistoric cave art are waiting for you. So discover these prehistorically sites that are often listed as UNESCO World Heritage. And after this short escape you cycle through the lush green countryside back to Sarlat where you will enjoy a last night in this so well preserved medieval village.
Day 7: End of the trip
Au Revoir!
