Pont Valentré

The Pont Valentré in Cahors was built between 1308 and 1378; the decision to build was taken in 1306, and the bridge opened in 1350. It is 138 m long, with six Gothic arches and three square towers, each about 40 m high (the western one has not survived). Paul Gout restored the bridge between 1867 and 1879, and since 1998 it has been part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France.

According to legend, the master builder made a pact with the Devil, who loosens the last stone of the Devil’s Tower at night; the little imp figure that Gout placed in the central tower in 1879 is said to confuse him. Walk across the bridge and along the bank of the Lot. About an hour is enough for the bridge and the riverside path. Crossing is free, but the towers are not open to visitors. Guidebooks call it the best-preserved medieval fortified bridge in France and one of the country’s most photographed monuments. In summer there are paid evening guided tours (booking through the tourist office); the former Cabazat pumping station houses the Maison de l’eau, with information on the bridge (as of October 2026).