5 Hidden Gems in Southwest France

Pont du Parayre over the River Audierne below Peyrusse-le-Roc - an ancient mule and pilgrim track — Pont du Parayre over the River Audierne below Peyrusse-le-Roc – an ancient mule and pilgrim track

This region contains so much to see and do that it’s easy to visit only the obvious places, those that get the most publicity: the plus beaux villages, the Viaduc de Millau, the better-known markets, the famous festivals. Dig a little deeper, though, and you’ll find hidden gems that are well worth a visit. I’d like to share with you a handful of them, about which I’ve written on this blog.

It wasn’t easy to choose and there’s plenty of scope for another five in a post later on. In no particular order, these are my choices.

Hive House in Promilhanes, Lot

House with a difference at Promilhanes - beehives incorporated into the walls — House with a difference at Promilhanes – beehives incorporated into the walls

A very rare example of voluntary human and insect cohabitation, this small house contains bee hives built into the walls. In French, it’s called une maison rucher (a hive house). We visited a number of years ago and I understand it has been fully restored since then, so a second visit is overdue.

Update: here is a shot of it in its restored state. What a bijou little house! I could happily live there.

A House with a Difference

Les Jardins de Quercy

A lovely garden, or rather series of gardens, created in unpromising conditions: a couple of hectares of north-facing former farmland with the area’s typically stony and infertile soil. The owners have progressively developed it into a wonderful jardin à l’anglaise, with colourful borders, themed “rooms” and hidden corners. A real delight, best visited in May/June when the borders are stunning, but always rewarding.

Glorious French Gardens

Zadkine Christ in Caylus

The Russian sculptor Ossip Zadkine (1890-1967) lived in Caylus for a while, but he’s more closely associated with Les Arques in the Lot and with Paris, both of which have a Musée Zadkine. The Christ in the church at Caylus was carved from a single tree trunk and its elongated body and limbs are, to me, reminiscent of the paintings of El Greco. A visit to Les Arques is on my bucket list.

Five Curiosities in Caylus

L’académie des Miniatures in Albi

Everyone visits the cathedral and the Toulouse-Lautrec museum in Albi. But cross the river and you’ll find tucked away in a side street a delightful small museum dedicated to miniatures. Before you think this isn’t your scene, I didn’t think it would be mine, either.

Each display case contains a miniature room complete with furniture and accessories of 1/7^th life size. They provide a very accurate view of French rural domestic life in the late 19^th/early 20^th centuries.

Update: sadly, this lovely little museum appears to be permanently closed.

Anniversaires and Albi Revisited

Peyrusse-le-Roc, Aveyron

Peyrusse - Twin towers of the château inférieur — Peyrusse – Twin towers of the château inférieur

Okay, this is a plus beau village, and in summer it’s probably heaving. I visited one April. However, it is a little off the beaten track and may not be as frequented as villages like Najac. It’s a fascinating place, not only for its stunning towers but also because it was once a much bigger and more important town.

For me, the highlights included the charming walk at the bottom of the hill beside the babbling river Audierne (pic at the top of this post) and the discovery of a medieval potager.

Like all plus beaux villages, this is probably best visited out of season.

Peyrusse-le-Roc: A Hidden Corner of the Aveyron

You can combine it with a visit to the nearby bastide town of Villeneuve d’Aveyron, which contains well-preserved 14^th-century wall paintings in the church.

Wall painting depicting a pilgrim with a rather natty handbag

Beautiful Bastide: Villeneuve d’Aveyron

Yes, I know. I cheated. That’s six. I told you I found it hard to choose…

17 comments

5 Things to do in SW France in 2018 | Life on La Lune says:

07/01/2018 at 17:44

[…] Curiosities in Caylus 5 Hidden Gems in SW France 5 More Hidden Gems in Southwest […]

LikeLike

Reply
5 More Hidden Gems in Southwest France | Life on La Lune says:

15/09/2016 at 15:05

[…] My series of posts about local châteaux 5 Hidden Gems in Southwest France […]

LikeLike

Reply
lynnefrancophile says:

15/08/2016 at 20:35

Interesting and enlightening as always, thank you. I did a double take at your photo of zadkine’s christ as i have seen the one in les arques. A long time after my visit there i read ‘from here you can’t see paris’, an easy read but a good one. As for peyrusse le roc, friends visited in july on our recommendation and found it quiet! They loved it as did we and all thanks to your article. Now i have the maison ruchier on My bucket list! 🙂

LikeLiked by 1 person

Reply
- nessafrance says:
  
  15/08/2016 at 21:33
  
  Les Arques is definitely on my list for a visit soon. I’m glad that Peyrusse wasn’t heaving. It is a little off the beaten track, which may account for that. And the maison rucher is an original. I haven’t heard of another one in France – although there may well be more. I love finding these quirky places. I find them more satisfying than the obvious tourist honeypots.
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
  
  Reply
  - lynnefrancophile says:
    
    17/08/2016 at 00:07
    
    http://www.cougnaguet.com/
    the number one honeypot close to us is rocamadour, always heaving in summer but so much more rewarding under winter skies because of the rockface. But just down the road is the delightful moulin de cougnaguet tucked away in a pretty green fertile valley. Visit if you can, especially after the hubbub of rocamadour! 🙂
    
    LikeLiked by 1 person
    
    Reply
    - nessafrance says:
      
      17/08/2016 at 10:22
      
      Thanks for the tip about the moulin. I much prefer Rocamadour out of season, although we don’t go that often – generally it’s with visitors. However, when we do, we’ll make a point of visiting the moulin as well.
      
      LikeLiked by 1 person
      
      Reply
A year in Périgord says:

14/08/2016 at 12:22

Thanks for the suggestions. Next time I have a spare day, I now have places to visit.

LikeLiked by 1 person

Reply
- nessafrance says:
  
  15/08/2016 at 16:56
  
  There’s so much to see that it’s not always easy to make choices. I can feel at least another 5 hidden gems coming on…
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
  
  Reply
elizabeth Lamb says:

14/08/2016 at 09:12

I thoroughly enjoyes “from here you can’t see Paris” . That sent me to Caylus, not far from us to look at the church, and also to notice a plaque saying that Zadkine lived in Caylus, before Les Arques.

LikeLiked by 1 person

Reply
- nessafrance says:
  
  14/08/2016 at 10:20
  
  I mentioned to another commentator that he left Caylus because of the traffic! I must get hold of the book.
  
  LikeLike
  
  Reply
Tucsonbabe says:

13/08/2016 at 18:21

Les Arques is an interesting town. At one point it was almost dead.You should read “From Here You Can’t See Paris” by Michael S Sanders. This is the book that sent my husband and I on our “pilgrimage” from Tucson, AZ to Les Arques and other points in the Lot. We now return every other year. I enjoy your blog.

LikeLike

Reply
- nessafrance says:
  
  14/08/2016 at 10:14
  
  Thanks for the reference, which I’ll certainly follow up. Some friends went to Les Arques recently and thoroughly recommended it – partly because there’s a good restaurant in the town! It’s not that far from where we live. Apparently, Zadkine bought a house in Caylus, but moved away because he found there was too much traffic. He’d certainly find that today, since it’s bisected by a main road.
  
  I’m pleased you enjoy the blog and you obviously like the region, since you keep coming back.
  
  LikeLike
  
  Reply
Osyth says:

13/08/2016 at 17:19

A wonderful selection and a great advert for visiting the area. Oddly enough I was sent a house near Cayrus today ….

LikeLiked by 1 person

Reply
- nessafrance says:
  
  14/08/2016 at 10:11
  
  There’s plenty to see around here. I’ve already got another 5 things in mind. Nice if you ended up in this area – although I know you love Cantal.
  
  LikeLiked by 1 person
  
  Reply
  - Osyth says:
    
    14/08/2016 at 10:23
    
    We do love Cantal and it remains our ideal but we do feel that if we reach this time next year when want will rapidly be turning to need as retirement really does begin to beckon that we may have to compromise and in fairness it ps not much of a sacrifice when we already have our little restoration project in the Cantal. That’s the good sense of the wife, the husband is wholly têtu 😉
    
    LikeLiked by 1 person
    
    Reply
    - nessafrance says:
      
      14/08/2016 at 10:27
      
      Good luck with the decision-making!
      
      LikeLiked by 1 person
      
      Reply
      - Osyth says:
        
        14/08/2016 at 10:30
        
        I’ll need it!
        
        LikeLike
        
        Reply