Lectoure

The medieval ramparts survive on three sides of the ridge and offer a walking circuit with panoramic views over the Gers valley. The countryside stretches away in rolling green and gold waves, with vineyards, sunflower fields, and orchards. On clear days, the Pyrenees are visible to the south, their snow-covered peaks shimmering on the horizon. The walk is flat (along the top of the ridge) and takes about 30 minutes. The light in the late afternoon is particularly beautiful.

The Cathedrale Saint-Gervais-et-Saint-Protais has a sturdy Gothic exterior and a spacious interior. The real treasure is in the hotel de ville next door, where the lapidary museum displays a collection of Gallo-Roman tauroboles (bull-sacrifice altars) found beneath the cathedral. These carved stone altars, dedicated to the cult of Cybele, are remarkable evidence of the pagan religious practices that Christianity replaced. The museum is small but the tauroboles are unique and fascinating.

From the ramparts of Lectoure, on a clear day, you can see the Pyrenees to the south. They are still far away, but visible. If you have been walking from Le Puy-en-Velay, this is the first time the mountains that mark the end of Le Chemin du Puy and the beginning of the Camino Frances appear on the horizon. The sight of them, distant and snow-capped, is a powerful reminder that your walk through France is approaching its final act. Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port sits at the foot of those mountains.

Lectoure has several excellent restaurants that serve Gascon cuisine at its best. Duck in all forms (confit, magret, foie gras, gizzard salad), garbure (the thick meat and vegetable soup of Gascony), and the local Cotes de Gascogne wines (crisp, refreshing whites that are excellent value) are the staples. The Gers is one of the least touristy and most gastronomically rewarding departments in France. Eating in Lectoure is eating at the heart of that tradition.

Lectoure has revived the traditional craft of blue pastel dye production. The Bleu de Lectoure workshop and shop, housed in the old tanneries, produces a range of textiles, cosmetics, and artworks using the traditional blue pigment extracted from the pastel plant (Isatis tinctoria). The workshop offers demonstrations and the shop sells beautiful blue-dyed products. The blue of Lectoure has a depth and warmth that is quite different from synthetic dyes.