Travel back in time to better discover Lot-et-Garonne; This is what the Journal Toulousain offers you through five visits.
Want a little (or big) trip back in time? It is possible in Lot-et-Garonne. Department in charge of History, it has indeed enough to transport you centuries back in time with its numerous bastides, medieval villages and castles. Add to this rich heritage a little poetry or technology and the time machine had better behave!
Discover the bastides throughout Monflanquin
To start your time journey in the right way, go to one of the bastides of Lot-et-Garonne. And the choice is vast. Indeed, the department has 42 new towns, which are new only in name since they were built in the Middle Ages! If you need help choosing, go to Monflanquin which also houses a Bastides museum.
A true witness to the medieval era, this new town from the 13the century is one of the most characteristic on an architectural level with its square square or its cobbled streets in a checkerboard layout. Don't hesitate to stroll there to admire its half-timbered or stone houses and its remarkable buildings like the house of the Black Prince. So many elements which give it a picturesque charm and allow it to be listed among the “Most Beautiful Villages in France”.
Stroll through the streets of Penne-d'Agenais
Penne-d'Agenais is also there. A steep medieval village which is worth the detour. There you will not only travel in time. Indeed, Penne-d'Agenais has the air of a Tuscan village with its steep streets where flowers bloom in the summer, its pretty squares and its stone houses with orange tiles. And you can take advantage of your breaks to admire them.
Why breaks? Because it’s climbing in Penne-d’Agenais. But once you get to the top, you won't regret your climb. A specially designed platform will effectively offer you a breathtaking panorama in the Lot Valley. After admiring the view, take a look at the Notre-Dame-de-Peyragude church. Recognizable by its silver dome, it contains superb multicolored mosaics and stained glass windows. When you come back down, don't miss the hermit caves on your way.
Walk around Bonaguil Castle
If you are more interested in castles, you will not be disappointed. Indeed, in Lot-et-Garonne, there is the last of the great castles built in France. It is that of Bonaguil, located in the heart of a forest which it dominates from the top of its rocky spur. This medieval fortress of impressive dimensions will make all fans of the Middle Ages and fairy tales dream with its towers, its dungeon, its drawbridge, its lordly hall and its underground passages.
You can explore it during independent or guided tours which will teach you more about the history of this remarkably well-preserved place. Activities are also offered to families and children such as an escape game or a treasure hunt. And if you want to experience a real return to the past, know thata medieval festival is held in the castle every year in July.
Follow storytellers
For those who don't want to wait until then, the “Country Raconteurs” are there for you. The latter offer, as their name suggests, to tell you the history of their territory. And some invite you to take part in tours that will take you straight to the Middle Ages. This is the case of Cyril who will make you discover the life of our ancestors through their everyday objects. You can even make some to better understand their habits.
You can also follow Jean-François who will not take you to the medieval era, but well before. He will indeed tell you how archaeologists discovered the remains of a town which was Gallic then Roman in Villeneuve-sur-Lot. In the dedicated museum, it will present to you the remains of the life of the inhabitants of Excisum, current Eysses which is the northern district of the town.
Digital tours for the whole family
Finally, the last visit is… digital. Indeed, you will need a smartphone to take advantage of it. On it, download the Terra Aventura geocaching application, choose your route, download the GPS data for it, then go to the departure location before letting yourself be guided. In all, around forty different circuits are available to you.
And there is something for everyone. But to better travel in timelet yourself be carried away by the adventures of Zéroïk who will take you to the Middle Ages or Zabeth who will teach you more about the history and monuments of the department. The first emblematic character of Terra Aventura will ask you in particular to help him free Lord Bertrand de Lamothe, who really existed, in Bruch. As for the second, he will be able to tell you about the life of the Dukes of Lauzun in a fun way.
