Arcambal is a Lot locality, in the Occitanie region, east of Cahors, the prefecture city, of which it is bordering.
The territory of 23 km² borders the left bank of the Lot and ensures a transition between the agglomeration of Cahors and the first reliefs of Causses du Quercy. The heart of the village is located at 140 m above sea level but on the borders of the town, we reach already more than 340 m...
Already inhabited during the Paleolithic era, erected as a marquisate at the end of the Middle Ages, Arcambal has a sometimes turbulent history linked to the proximity of Cahors.
The activity remains mainly agricultural (market gardening, viticulture, sheep farming) until the 1980s when its population passes the milestone of the thousand inhabitants, its preserved environment attracting new residents.
Its heritage and its environment at the crossroads of eminently tourist sites (such Saint-Cirq-Lapopie) make it a quality stop for visiting Quercy.
In terms of historical heritage, a visit to the village can begin with the church of St. Anthony, whose fortified foundations date back to the 13th century and was rebuilt in the 15th. It houses a chapel dedicated to the old lords of the place, the most famous was Pierre Bousquet, Marquis of Arcambal in the 1490s.
On the hamlet of Pasturat, the Church of Our Lady of the Assumption, founded in the twelfth century, was rebuilt in the nineteenth century.
However, the jewel of the village is the castle Bousquet, erected on a promontory overlooking the course of the Lot at the confluence of the river with the Tréboulou stream.
A first noble residence was built in the twelfth century before the XIV, Jean du Bousquet, brother of the archbishop of Naples, buys and rebuild a castle. Shortly before the Revolution, ruined, the Marquis Deslax of Arcambal, marshal of the king's armies, completely ruined, had to sell the castle and its lands. The house includes several buildings flanked by towers and arranged around a large tower before the fifteenth century. Several additions took place until the 19th century. The whole, majestic appearance, where the stones alternate with the bricks, is visible only from the outside (private property).
To see finally, always on the locality, the ruins of a castle on the hamlet of Béars and the vestiges of a medieval tower on the hamlet of Mondies.
Many hiking and mountain biking trails include Arcambal and its surroundings. Documentation and information on +33 5 65 53 20 65.
Some loops partly follow the Lot, others allow to reach the first sectors of the causses and their pastoral landscape slightly wooded.
For athletes, tennis courts can be booked. Contact the local club on +33 6 23 43 21 13 or +33 6 75 86 92 05.
Fishing enthusiasts have the opportunity to indulge in their favorite hobby along the Lot. Find out about the developed sites and the regulations at +33 5 65 35 50 22.
Finally, on the cultural level, quality shows (theater, concerts) are regularly scheduled at the municipal cultural center. Information on +33 5 65 22 50 58.
May 1st, all day, town hall square, floral (exhibitions, flower market).
The weekend of Pentecost, votive festival with the program fun and musical events, balls...
The second Tuesday of August, market, flea market and open air cinema.
The last weekend of November, feast of the book and the image: in the program, meetings and dedications with authors and exhibitions of photos and paintings.
Circuit valleys of the Lot and Cele, with cave dwellings Abbey Marcilhac, prehistoric cave of Pech Merle, the listed village of Saint-Cirq-Lapopie Figeac with its historic center and the Champollion Museum, Cahors with its historic center, cathedral and its bridge Valentré.
Activities: canoeing, climbing, hiking, horseback riding, mountain biking.
For children: canoeing, climbing, horseback riding, outdoor museum of Cuzals, outdoor swimming pool "Archipelago" in Cahors, in the Lot swimming allowed to Saint Cirq Lapopie and the Célé Sauliac.
