Lauzerte
The Vía Podiensis
Lauzerte is one of the finest bastide towns on the entire Via Podiensis, and it has the Plus Beaux Villages de France designation to prove it. The town sits on a rocky promontory with commanding views in every direction, and the approach from the north, climbing up through fields with the medieval skyline growing above you, is one of those moments on the walk that earns a pause.
The Place des Cornieres is the heart of the bastide: a medieval market square surrounded by stone arcades and half-timbered houses. The Eglise Saint-Barthelemy has its origins in the 13th century and houses a notable marble altarpiece. The Jardin du Pelerin, or pilgrim's garden, is a small contemporary garden built into the medieval ramparts with views over the surrounding countryside.
Services: bakery, grocery, pharmacy, restaurants, tourist office, gites and chambres d'hotes. The Saturday market is good.
Lauzerte was founded as a bastide in 1241 by Raymond VII, Count of Toulouse, on a rocky hilltop that had been fortified since at least the Gallo-Roman period. The town was designed on the classic bastide grid plan centered on the Place des Cornieres. During the Hundred Years' War, Lauzerte repeatedly changed hands between French and English. The Wars of Religion brought further damage, and many of the surviving medieval buildings date from the reconstruction that followed.
Lauzerte was an established stop on the Via Podiensis from the medieval period onward. The pilgrim heritage is visible in the architecture and in the town's continued commitment to welcoming walkers.
From Lauzerte the path descends steeply to the south and then crosses rolling farmland toward Durfort-Lacapelette and Moissac. The terrain is more gentle than the approach to Lauzerte. You're entering the Tarn-et-Garonne department and approaching the Garonne valley.
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