The best bastides in
the Lot-et-Garonne

DAY 1: MONFLANQUIN

Morning: guided tour of the medieval bastide: original streets, half-timbered houses, Place du Marché square with arcades, 13th century Saint-André Church and Musée des Bastides. Traditional market on Thursday morning all year round.

Afternoon: 7.8km hike (2 hr 10) with fabulous views of the hilltop Monflanquin bastide, La Lède Valley and the surrounding châteaux.

DAY 2: PUJOLS-LE-HAUT

Morning: the medieval town of Pujols-le-Haut is a village with personality and medieval heritage: 16th century half-timbered houses, Saint-Nicolas Church and Sainte-Foy Church. Pujols is famous for the
Via Podiensis, the best-known Way of St James.

Afternoon: 75 minute boat ride on the Lot River in Villeneuve-sur-Lot.

DAY 3: VILLERÉAL

Morning: tour of the church, a real 13th century fortress, traditional walled-in gardens, half-timbered houses with corbel arches and mullion windows. Unmissable: the traditional market on Saturday morning.
Bastides are fortified towns built by kings and regional lords in the Middle Ages. Their checkerboard layout and main square have inspired our modern cities.

Afternoon: bike ride around the royal bastide (74km) in a polyculture landscape where South Western fatted ducks are bred alongside plum and walnut groves. Foodie breaks at farms and trips to Romanesque churches, châteaux and dovecotes.