Cajarc
You’ve probably heard the name Cajarc before
Enter the famous village of Cajarc and open yourself to the surprises that this remarkable site has in store for you, in a cirque surrounded by cliffs and alongside a river. It owes its reputation to celebrity and media visitors...
A medieval village that has become a famous “place to be”
An air of dolce vita
Nestled in the Lot Valley, Cajarc owes its development in the Middle Ages to its ideally located port on a river that served as an international trade route. Its wealth allowed it to become one of the first “free town” in 13th century Quercy. Its prosperity would extend beyond the Wars of Religion, confirming its position as a rural market town in the 17th to 18th centuries, before experiencing a spectacular economic boom in the 19th century with the beginning of phosphate mining. Dubbed the “little St-Tropez” of the Lot Department in the 20th century, thanks to its famous visitors (like Françoise Sagan, Louis Malle, Georges Pompidou and Coluche), Cajarc is rewriting its story today with a focus on culture, hospitality and the sweet life...
Two labels
Step into this town which has been awarded two French labels: “Remarkable Site for Taste” for its production of Quercy saffron and “Green Resort Town” for the quality of its ecotourism offerings.
Two festivals
You won’t want to miss the Africajarc festival in mid-July, an invitation to explore the cultures of Africa in a mix of crafts, visual arts, film, markets, music and much more, or the La BD Prend l’Air festival in mid-September, whose exhibitions, signings, bookshops, workshops and more are sure to get your excited.
Cajarc’s heritage: key attractions
- Medieval urban palaces and houses: the Hébrardie Palace, the consul’s house, and more...
- Private houses and mansions from the 18th and 19th centuries
- Saint-Etienne Church
- Sainte-Marguerite des Mariniers Chapel
- Former convent of Mirepoises Sisters
- Old train station, now a railway museum
- 19th century bridge over the Lot
Maison des Arts Georges et Claude Pompidou
Set off to explore this contemporary arts centre, created at the initiative of a group of friends of the Pompidou family as a tribute to the fondness of the former President of the Republic and his wife for contemporary artwork and to recall the head of State’s attachment to Cajarc.
Quercy saffron
In Cajarc’s region, you cannot escape Quercy saffron, a spice dating back to the Middle Ages, made from the pistils of a purple flower, the crocus, harvested in October and November. A saffron festival takes place in Cajarc each year in October, to honour the precious spice.