Pont Valentré, Cahors

A fortified 14th-century bridge with three tall towers, crossing the Lot River at Cahors, and one of the finest medieval bridges in France. Legend says the builder made a pact with the devil to finish it. Look for the little devil carved on the central tower, clinging to the stones.

You can walk across the bridge, and the riverside path along the Lot gives the best views, especially at sunset. Cahors also has a Romanesque cathedral, a lively Saturday market, and is the home of 'black wine', the dark Malbec of the Cahors vineyards, which you can taste at the wine estates along the valley.