Lauzerte

Lauzerte is in the department of the Tarn-et-Garonne

Towards the end of the 12th century, the Count of Toulouse undertook to build a castelnau - a city protected by a castle - on a hill. From a strategic as well as an economic viewpoint, it was an instant success. Two hundred plots of land for building on were distributed between settlers, lured by opportunity.

Around 1200AD, Lauzerte stretched along one main road to the north, while a pathway led along to it's south side. The space between these two routes became rapidly populated, and a town square was modelled. Later on, suburbs gradually developed and urbanised this fortified site. An important stop for pilgrims on their way to Compostelle, Lauzerte became a prosperous trading town bustling with life, as shown by its medieval houses. It remains one of the most picturesque and best examples of bastide towns in the whole of the Midi.

Getting there:

15mns from MONTCUQ
40 mns from CAHORS (train station)
1hr 15mns from TOULOUSE (train station and international airport of Blagnac)
2hrs 20mns from BORDEAUX (train station and international airport of Mérignac)