Attractions and Places To See around Clairac - Top 20

Very pleasant and shady and not too crowded.

Very pleasant route, mostly asphalted in the shade and at the water's edge of course. However, the Lot-et-Garonne part of this route is more bumpy, the roots lift the tar and make bumps that are sometimes quite significant, so don't be surprised. Another negative point, it is sometimes difficult to find free access water taps, even in the nautical stops you will most of the time have to go and ask for water in the bars or restaurants along the track, or leave the track to go directly to the village cemeteries.

The community, often referred to as the "Order of the Templars" for short, whose full name is "Poor Knights of Christ and of Solomon's Temple in Jerusalem", takes us back to the 13th century. Founded in the Holy Land, it spread surprisingly quickly with numerous branches in many countries in Central Europe. The order gained notoriety through the fact that it was dissolved in 1312 by the French king and the pope and its members were accused of being heretics. The main reason for the dissolution, however, was not the human and religious misconduct (heresy) of the members, which was merely a pretext, but the legendary wealth of this order. King Philip IV of France (1268 to 1314) wanted to use this measure primarily to improve his coffers and secure its treasures.

Peaceful route by the water, in the shade under the trees 🌳

The history of Clairac is inseparable from that of its Benedictine abbey, which was internationally renowned in the Middle Ages. The abbey, as well as the town which was formed around its walls, reached their peak in the 12th and 13th centuries. There were then 120 monks who worked both in the fields and as copyists of manuscripts. The abbot of Clairac was also the lord of the village and commanded two bastides, five priories and around fifty parishes. The monks also owned two mills on the Lot. The income generated by the abbey was then considerable. But the most important heritage is unexpected: the plum tree of Damascus, brought back from the crusades, was in fact "enté", that is to say grafted, by them for the 1st time. They also discovered the sun-drying process, inventing the Ente plum and the Agen prune in one fell swoop!

Beautiful landscape, beautiful canal, the surface of the bike path could be better. Shady sections, several bridges and locks. More information: https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canal_lat%C3%A9ral_%C3%A0_la_Garonne?wprov=sfla1

The Canal Lateral à la Garonne, or Canal de Garonne, is a small French side canal dating from the 19th century, which connects Toulouse to Castets and Castillon (Gironde) near Bordeaux, where it joins the Garonne. It is the essential extension of the Canal du Midi, offering safer and more comfortable navigation conditions than the old navigation on the Garonne River, which was often subject to periods of low water levels or floods. The canal was fully opened to navigation on March 12, 1856. Together with the Canal du Midi which connects Toulouse to Sète, it forms the Canal des Deux-Mers between the Mediterranean and the Atlantic Ocean.

The Saint-Germain church is a Romanesque church located in the town of Temple-sur-Lot, in the Lot-et-Garonne department in New Aquitaine. Built in the 12th century, it has been enlarged and modified over the centuries. The church is famous for its 15th century frescoes, which were rediscovered in 1952 and restored in 1961. The frescoes depict biblical scenes, holy figures, angels and demons. The church is also known for its richly carved portal, which features figures of lions, sirens and griffins, as well as scenes from the life of Saint Germain. It has been classified as a historical monument since 1979.