Quercy, Historical province in southwestern France
Quercy is a historical province in southwestern France that covers mainly the Lot department and the northern part of Tarn-et-Garonne. The landscape is shaped by limestone plateaus cut through by deep river valleys and covered with oak forests.
This territory first belonged to the Celtic Cadurci tribe and became part of the Roman province of Aquitania Prima in the 4th century. During medieval times it evolved into a county that was later divided among different French crown domains.
The name derives from the Celtic Cadurci tribe that inhabited this territory before Roman times. Visitors encounter this ancient link today through place names and archaeological remains along the river valleys.
The area is best explored by car, as towns and villages are spread widely across valleys and plateaus. Roads wind through hilly terrain and connect small communities with larger towns such as Cahors and Montauban.
Between 1750 and 1850, numerous round dovecotes made of pale limestone were built here, still marking the fields and farmsteads today. These structures once held both economic and symbolic importance for rural estates.
The community of curious travelers
AroundUs brings together thousands of curated places, local tips, and hidden gems, enriched daily by 60,000 contributors worldwide.
