Attractions and Places To See around Laroque-Des-Arcs - Top 20

An essential monument of the Occitanie region, it is distinguished by its large domes on pendentives, among the largest in France. The cathedral is doubly classified: as a Historic Monument in France and as a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela.

In Cahors, there isn't strictly a water clock (or clepsydra), but the city is home to a famous and unusual monumental ball clock. Located on Place Saint-Urcisse, in the heart of the old town, this kinetic work of art is often associated with water as it sits in the middle of a U-shaped fountain. It is a monumental mechanical clock weighing 2 tons and standing 3.5 meters high. It operates without electricity for its pendulum movement: its energy comes exclusively from the weight of 54 steel pinball balls (weighing 80 grams each) descending along metal rails. An unusual performance: The mechanism consumes 640 grams of balls per minute, or nearly 921 kg per day. The balls travel approximately 18,000 km per year within the structure. Once they reach the bottom, the balls are automatically rewound thanks to a small mechanical system.

Two large domes dominate the Romanesque nave. They represent the most extraordinary example of the so-called "Aquitanian" architectural style: 16 meters in diameter and 32 meters high; only the Hagia Sophia in Istanbul has a taller dome. Also noteworthy is the small, golden church of Saint-Svair, with its large statue of Emperor Charlemagne, who presented it to the church of Cahors.

Worth seeing cathedral in Cahors.

Here the hiker or pilgrim has the town of Cahors and the river Lot at his feet, a truly picture-book view.

This St. Etienne Cathedral impressed us deeply again! The building dates back to the 11th century and is very unique with its two domes. Only in Perigeux is there a cathedral with similar architecture. The special feature is the Saint Coiffe, a fabric relic in which the veil of Jesus from the tomb is venerated. In one dome you can see frescoes of saints, in the middle of St. Stephen, the first martyr of the Christians in Jerusalem. During our visit (September 2024), pictures by the late impressionist painter Henri Martin were projected onto the other gray dome. It is worth spending some time in the cathedral!

This railway bridge was built on the Montauban-Brive line, an axis declared of public interest because it corresponded to the shortest route between Toulouse and Paris. Built at an angle to the riverbed, it combines traditional techniques and implementations typical of industrial architecture. The structure was built between 1880 and 1883 by the engineers Jean LANTEREIS and Jean-Louis LACAZE, employed by the Fives-Lille company. It consists of 5 arches with an opening of 36 meters. The pillars decorated with pilasters are made of hewn Cantal granite. The industrially manufactured metal trusses were melted down in the Fourchambault workshops on behalf of the Orléans company and transported to the location by rail.

This monumental ball-bearing clock was donated to the city of Cahors in 1997. Designed by Michel Zachariou, it took two years of work. A total of 54 pinball machines, each weighing 80 grams, keep the clock ticking. According to the designer, it can last forever as long as it is maintained.