The “Balade médiévale à Fons-en-Quercy” walking tour is 1.7 kilometres long, takes about an hour and has an elevation gain of 36 metres. It offers a specific timeframe for a visit to Fons. There are also local hiking trails with varying stated durations, historic buildings and a landscape shaped by dry-stone walls.
Medieval Buildings and Village History
Fons originated and grew around a Benedictine monastery founded in 972, which no longer exists today. The Maison des Consuls is a partially restored 13th-century building. Its five large pointed-arch openings are among its distinctive architectural details.
The Judicature royale has a first-floor balcony. Judgments were once publicly proclaimed from there. The church of Saint-André was mentioned in 1146 as a possession of the Abbey of Figeac. Its apse has a domed vault and three windows that bear witness to an earlier Romanesque building.
The church of Notre-Dame-des-Artels is also part of the village’s architectural history: it was probably rebuilt around 1760 on the site of the earlier church. The historical records for the churches therefore range from a mention in 1146 to a probable later rebuilding.
Plan Walks and Hiking Trails
Six local hiking trails have stated durations ranging from 20 minutes to 2 hours and 30 minutes. Together with the approximately one-hour “Balade médiévale à Fons-en-Quercy” walking tour, they offer a choice of different timeframes. Check trail conditions before setting out.
The chemin de ronde known as “Le Balat” runs along the former town wall. The fortifications and ditches no longer exist; you can look out for remnants of the walls as you walk. A Stations of the Cross route leads to the Calvaire. These routes connect different themes: the former line of the fortifications and an approach to the Calvaire.
Causses, Hamlets and Country Lanes
The Causses around Fons are characterised by caselles and dry-stone walls. The greenery of the chestnut groves along the Bonhomme stream is reminiscent of the neighbouring SĂ©gala lotois. The landscape description thus focuses both on the stone structures of the Causses and the groves along the stream.
The “Villages et coteaux du Limargue” loop is suitable for mountain bikes and passes through a green valley and traditional hamlets. As suitability may vary depending on conditions, check trail conditions before setting out. The landscapes described and the loop offer specific ideas if you would like to spend your time in Fons exploring village history, hiking or cycling.
Alpaca Activities by Appointment
Les Alpacas de Fons offers encounters by appointment only. They last 1.5 to 2 hours and include feeding the alpacas, comparing sheep’s wool with alpaca wool, and learning the basic steps of processing wool.
The walks along Fons’s country lanes, also available by appointment only, last 2 to 2.5 hours. Afterwards, you can feed the alpacas and compare sheep’s wool with alpaca wool. The two formats have different focuses: the encounter also includes wool processing, while the walk sets aside time for the country lanes.
Another appointment option is a workshop where you can feed the alpacas and make a felted soap using selected wool colours. All the activities mentioned require an appointment; take this into account when planning.
Discover more destinations: Gagnac-Sur-Cère, Saint-Sulpice, Soucirac, Saux, Valprionde, Lamagdelaine, Cazillac, Saint-Laurent-Lolmie.
For the overview of the wider region: Lot.
