Catus: Heritage, Lac Vert and Trails

When planning a trip to Catus, different interests come together: religious heritage, outdoor trails, Lac Vert and a weekly market run by local producers. For a stay, it is worth considering these highlights separately. Churches and the priory offer historical and architectural points of interest; at the lake, the beach, swimming and a lakeside path take centre stage. Two circular trails differ in their stated length, waymarking and technical difficulty. This can help you decide what you would like your stay to focus on before looking for a hotel in Catus.

Heritage: church and priory

The Église de Salvezou is protected as an “inscrit monument historique”; this designation was made by decree on 17 September 1990. The church contains 16th-century wall paintings. Its protected status and paintings offer two distinct points of interest: the listing relates to formal heritage protection, while the paintings are a specific art-historical feature. They date from considerably earlier than the decree that records the church’s protected status.

The Priory of Saint-Jean was founded in the 11th century in the Vert valley by Benedictine monks from Italy. Only the Church of Saint-Astier and the chapter house remain of the priory. The chapter house is decorated with numerous carved capitals. Capitals are the upper sections of columns; the carvings draw attention to a specific architectural detail of the room.

Lac Vert: beach and circular trail

Lac Vert in Catus is a seven-hectare recreational lake with a shady beach. Supervised swimming is available there in July and August; check the current dates before travelling. A 1.5-kilometre path also runs around the lake. This gives you two different options to plan for: swimming and a walk by the water. The months when swimming is available and the specific length of the circular path may be useful when making your plans.

Circular trails with different features

Le Chemin des Prieurs is a 7.9-kilometre circular trail, marked in yellow, in the hills above Catus. It offers a shady outing with views of the Vert valley and is open to horse riders and mountain bikers. The Les Hauts du Lac Vert circular trail starts at Lac de Catus and has no particular technical difficulties. The two trails can be compared by their respective features: for Le Chemin des Prieurs, its length, waymarking and access for horse riders and mountain bikers are relevant; for Les Hauts du Lac Vert, its starting point and the absence of particular technical difficulties.

Local producers’ market

The Marché de Producteurs à Catus is a weekly market run by local producers beneath the market hall in Catus. So, alongside historic sites and trails, Catus also offers a regular event in the weekly calendar. When planning, note that its schedule differs from that of Lac Vert: the market takes place weekly, while supervised swimming is offered in July and August. If both are important to your stay, bear these different schedules in mind.

Discover more destinations: Belmont-Bretenoux, Tour De Faure, Saint-Pierre-Lafeuille, Duravel, Lascabanes, Puyjourdes, Montdoumerc, Mayrinhac-Lentour.

For the broader travel overview: Lot.