Camping Le Soulhol

The 12th-century town of Saint Céré is a good place to start investigating the history of the Lot: it's a busy market town these days but still has its medieval centre and several half-timbered houses to see along with the 15th-century Maison des Consuls in the Place du Mercadial. More history, as well as museums and shops, are at nearby Saint-Laurent-les-Tours. Other options in the area are a trip on the old railway line along the Dordogne valley, seeing 130 monkeys bound about the Foret des Singes (half an hour's drive), and gawping at the Gouffre de Padirac cave (20 minutes), the most visited underground tourism attraction in France: start a visit with a boat trip over 500 metres of river 103 metres below ground, and finish with a guided walking tour of the cave. If you'd like to tee off in stylish surrounds, a nine-hole golf course is next door to Château de Montal, 10 minutes away. Non-golfers can take a wander around the elegant Renaissance palace, seeking out the collection of decorative outdoor sculptures (Hermes riding a unicorn is a particular fave).