Our region

The Chartreuse de Cales is located deep into Occitanie, a northern region of the Lot department in-between Toulouse and Bordeaux. Rich of an extensive historical background, the region also known as the Quercy is blessed with great architectural feats such as elegant castles (Castelnaud, Montal, Fénelon), medieval abbeys and a multitude of villages literally carved in the rock (Rocamadour, La Roque-Gageac, St-Circ-Lapopie).

Our region is the culmination of French savoir-faire and nature’s most ravishing work.

Discover fascinating caves buzzing with history (Lascaux, Pech Merle, Font de Gaume) as well as nature engineered tunnels that will baffle you by their sheer beauty (Gouffre de Padirac).

This almost perpetually sunlit region has forever been beneficial to the harmonious thriving of many ecosystems. The landscapes are stunning and are a testimony of the healthy and wealthy nature of the Quercy. The dense forests sometimes give way to vast Causses and are in perfect symbiosis with the many sinuous rivers that adventurers relish for the endless sporting possibilities they provide.

For the adventurers among you, the tall caves and cliffs are the ideal turf to discover speleology and rock-climbing.

You can’t truly pretend to have experienced the Lot if you don’t indulge in its fine cuisine rendered possible by its truly rare and beautiful ingredients. Truffles, foie gras, cèpes, chestnuts, nuts without forgetting the endless vineyards condensed near Cahors, the department’s capital, will take your taste buds for the gastronomical flight of their life.

Needless to say that activities are not going to be lacking during your stay at the Bastit. Among the many outings you will want to experience, Sarlat should be high on your list. A medieval gem, this charming township offers a rich and authentic cultural adventure through its splendidly enchanting streets sided with old stone houses that are still standing solid.

The charming villages inhabiting the region have all the aspects that pertain to charm. Among those, weekly markets is a tradition that goes afar back and that to this day lives vibrantly. Domme and Sarlat both offer weekly markets with the freshest produces one could ever think of, from poultry to homemade tarts and freshly-picked vegetables and fruits.

At the conclusion of your stay, you will inexorably think of Henry Miller who once famously said in his The Colossus of Maroussi: “I believe that this great peaceful region of France will always be a sacred spot for man and that when the cities have killed off the poets this will be the refuge and the cradle of the poets to come. I repeat, it was most important for me to have seen the Dordogne: it gives me hope for the future of the race, for the future of the earth itself. France may one day exist no more, but the Dordogne will live on just as dreams live on and nourish the souls of men”.