Lauzerte

Lauzerte is a bastide in the Tarn-et-Garonne, in Quercy Blanc, perched on a hill about twenty kilometres north of Moissac. It overlooks the valleys of the Lendou and the Barguelonne and is among the Most Beautiful Villages of France. Its name is said to come from the Latin lucerna, the lamp, in reference to its visibility from afar.

The count of Toulouse received the hill in the late twelfth or thirteenth century depending on sources, to establish a castelnau there. The centre is organised around the church of Saint-Barthélemy and the Place des Cornières. The houses range from Gothic to Renaissance, and ramparts recall the Hundred Years' War.

Lauzerte is a stage on the Via Podiensis, one of the routes to Santiago de Compostela, whose route is inscribed as UNESCO World Heritage. Guided tours of the medieval town are offered, notably during the European Heritage Days.

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