Exploring the South West of France

Arrival on Saturday in the afternoon at the ‘ferme equestre'. Acquaintance with the horses and preview on the trails. On a horseback you will visit p.e.:- Domme on the edge of a cliff with the most famous panorama of the Perigord and viewing over the Dordogne valley. A beautiful 13th century bastide enclosed within ancient stone walls and fortifications. A medieval city wit its glorious past and remains of the Knight of the Templar.- Picturesque Lavercantière with a beautiful 13th century castle and 12th century church and some breathtaking views.- L'Abbaye Nouvelle in Leobard, an abbey build between 1260 and 1287 - The woods of ‘Le Frau' in DégagnazèsEvery morning an extended breakfast will be proposed. During the rides delicious picnic lunches will be waiting for you in a romantic spot, served by Hermina who will come straight from home perhaps bringing a freshly made quiche or maybe meatloaf, still warm from the oven. You will return and stay each night at the farmhouse. In the evening you can enjoy a fantastic 4-course dinner with fine wines, foie gras, walnuts and cheeses.Day 8 Saturday; End of the stay after breakfast, the last opportunity to taste our croissants and homemade jams.Or one week with a two day trek :For several days you will be riding in the beautiful surroundings of the farm and exploring the Lot and the Dordogne. During the week there will be a two day trek. This trek will lead you to the medieval town Lavercantière with its breathtaking views. We reach a nice lake at Catus for our picnic. You can relax or take a swim. And then we carry on to our stay for the night at Crayssac, in a fabulous 17th century farmhouse with two beautiful towers. Here you can taste and experience real French life. The next day we will continue our trek and we will ride through a domain of trees which is called ‘Le Frau', peaceful and unspoilt, with old oakes, chestnut trees, heathers and ferns. An ideal place to have a rest stop and a leisurely lunch before returning to our home. Or with a four day trek :After an introductory ride through some of the lovely surrounding countryside and a check that you are suitably matched to your horse for the week, you will then set out on the four day trail ride. Discovering the Lot and passing on ancient Roman roads, mule paths and parts of the road to Santiago de Compostela. All tracks lead you to the once revered Christian site of Rocamadour, a place of pilgrimage, which has clung to the limestone cliffs of the Alzou Canyon for over nine hundred years.You will be covering approximately 25 to 30 kms per day at a variety of paces, enjoying delicious picnics at lunch time. Your first night stop is at Le Vigan in a converted watermill, where you might like to enjoy a soak in the outdoor pool after the day's exertions. From there you head to Rocamadour arriving a La Gardelle in time to put your horse in its field and drive down to see Rocamadour in all its glory before supper. For the last night of the trail you make your way to Frayssinet for your stay in a converted convent. This beautiful oasis of calm is an ideal resting place and you will certainly be reluctant to leave after a famously long, relaxing delicious evening meal. However, leave you must, for your last two nights will be spent back at Dégagnac. The final day's ride is a ‘wind down' ride, taking you in a completely different direction from where you have come, ensuring that in only a week you will have seen as much as possible of what ‘Le Lot' has to offer.

Description	Distance
Rocamadour	45 minutes