Entraygues-sur-Truyère, between the Lot and the Truyère

Two medieval bridges

The bridge over the Truyère dates from the mid-13th century. It stands on four pointed arches, with cutwaters facing upstream to split the current. In 1269 the Archbishop of Bourges granted indulgences to those who gave money for its building, and from 1278 a toll was charged: a gate guarded each end. It has been a listed historic monument since 1927. On the Lot, on the other side of town, the Notre-Dame bridge, also called the Olt bridge, is recorded in 1388.

The castle of the Counts of Rodez

In 1278 Henri II, Count of Rodez, acquired Entraygues and had a castle built at the tip of the confluence. Two square towers from that time remain; the rest was rebuilt in the 17th century, after the Wars of Religion, during which the castle was looted in 1587 and partly destroyed in 1604. It is privately owned and its high walls hide it quite well. The best view is from below, at the water's edge, near a small pebble beach where you can watch the two rivers meet.

The old town

A signposted trail, numbered 1 to 21, starts from the tourist office on place de la République, where you can park. Rue Basse is the most attractive, lined with medieval houses. Rue Droite was the main street in the Middle Ages: at number 8, a 16th-century door has two knockers, one at head height for people on foot, the other higher up for riders. Place Castanié was the old market square. Everywhere there are half-timbered houses from the 15th and 16th centuries.

A river port and a wine

Entraygues was the last stop for the flat-bottomed gabares on the Lot: barrels of wine and cheeses travelled downriver from here. The wine is still there. The Entraygues-Le Fel appellation, recognised as VDQS in 1965 and as AOC in 2011, covers vines planted on terraces, the faisses, on the granite and schist slopes of the Lot and the Truyère. The reds and rosés are made from fer servadou, the whites from chenin. The hillside farmer was once called a coustoubi; he would go up to sell his wine, fruit and vegetables at the markets of the Aubrac.

The markets

The market is on Friday mornings. In July and August, the "Mercredis soir d'Entraygues" (Wednesday evenings) bring together producers and craftspeople from 6 pm, with entertainment.

Our tip

Come on a Friday morning for the market, follow the signposted trail, then have lunch by the water. Take home a bottle of white Entraygues-Le Fel for the evening. It is also a good moment to see where the water you look at from Valon ends up: the Truyère that runs through the gorges flows into the Lot here.