Catus combines a distinctive cultural history with waterside activities and several trails. The Église de Salvezou contains 16th-century murals; Lac Vert is a seven-hectare recreational lake. Other highlights include the Priory of Saint-Jean, routes with different characteristics, and a weekly market of local producers. This makes it easy to plan your stay around cultural discoveries, time by the lake or an outing in the hills.
Cultural history: Salvezou and the Priory
The Église de Salvezou is protected as an inscrit monument historique; the protection order dates from September 17, 1990. The church contains 16th-century murals. Its protected status and murals offer two distinct historical points of interest: its official designation on the one hand, and a specific art-historical feature on the other.
Another historical highlight is the Priory of Saint-Jean. Benedictine monks from Italy founded it in the 11th century in the valley of the Vert. The Church of Saint-Astier and the chapter house have been preserved. The latter is adorned with numerous carved capitals. Capitals are the shaped upper parts of columns, providing a distinctive architectural detail in the room. These two historic sites bring different periods into the cultural picture: the 16th-century murals in the Église contrast with the priory’s 11th-century foundation story.
Lac Vert and trails: Explore the lake and hills
Lac Vert in Catus is a seven-hectare recreational lake. Lifeguard-supervised swimming is available at its shady beach in July and August. Check the current dates before you travel. A 1.5-kilometre trail also runs around the lake. This adds a seasonal swimming opportunity and a lakeside trail to a stay by the water.
A longer route with different markings is Le Chemin des Prieurs: this 7.9-kilometre circular trail in Catus is marked in yellow. It offers a shaded outing in the hills around Catus, with a chance to discover the valley of the Vert, and is open to horse riders and mountain bikers. In terms of length, the trail around Lac Vert is shorter than this circular route; the two figures therefore distinguish between different route options.
The Les Hauts du Lac Vert circular trail starts at Lac de Catus and has no particular technical difficulties. The trails thus offer several specific points of reference: a stated length for the lakeside trail, a marked circular route open to horse riders and mountain bikers, and another circular trail with a named starting point and an indication of its technical difficulty. These differences can help you choose a route based on what you are looking for.
Weekly market of local producers
The Marché de Producteurs à Catus is a weekly market of local producers held beneath the market hall in Catus. It offers a different focus from the historic sites and trails: here, the emphasis is on local producers and the recurring market. If you would like to include a market visit in your stay, you can take its weekly schedule into account when planning. Along with the cultural history and activities at Lac Vert, the market adds another theme to help you plan your time in Catus.
Discover more destinations: Latouille-Lentillac, Labastide-Marnhac, Salviac, Bouziès, Rampoux, Lacam-D'ourcet, Loubressac, Fons
For the wider travel overview: Lot.
