Autoire

This lovely walk in Autoire is about an hour’s drive from your gîte in Cabreretsin the north of the Lot.

Autoire, the Little Versailles

Situated close to the Dordogne Valley, on the border between the departments of Lot and Corrèze, Autoire is one of those charming villages well worth a visit in the Lot, in the north-east of the department. It nestles in the heart of the impressive Cirque d’Autoire, surrounded by cliffs 300 metres high.

Formerly known as «Little Versailles», Autoire is a small, charming village home to around ten beautiful 16th century noble housesThese are all set against a backdrop of dark stone barns and characteristic steep brown roofs.

It is no coincidence that Autoire was classified as one of the Most Beautiful Villages in France.

The Autoire Waterfall

The biggest waterfall to visit in the Lot, it takes just under half an hour to get there from the village.

You have to earn this beautiful a waterfall over 30 metres high.

In particular, you can borrow this a 2.7km loop trail from Autoire.

The English Castle: La Roque d’Autoire

The «Château des Anglais» (another one!), on the side of a cliff, is also a must-see. It offers superb views over the valley.

These are the ruins of a Semi-troglodytic defensive fortress dating from the 100 Years War, which can barely be made out along the rock face!

It dates from the late 12th century, when the castellany of Saint-Céré – which included Autoire – passed into the hands of the Viscounts of Turenne. It was built by the Baron of Castelnau-Gramat, a vassal of the Count of Toulouse.

Thanks to its strategic position, the Château des Anglais in Autoire allowed its occupants to keep watch for attackers from a distance, and was protected from above by the cliff itself that looms over it.

In the late 13th century, the castle was ceded by the King of France to the King of England. Armies of mercenaries in the pay of the English passed through it as they swept through the Quercy region, pillaging it relentlessly.

In the 16th century, the Protestants took over Autoire and its Roque. It later reverted to the Viscount de Tourenne, who had it restored.

As the site was subsequently abandoned, the villagers began to strip it of its stones in the 18th century. Nature then reclaimed the site, until the castle was listed as a historic monument in 1925.