Martel
Member of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France
Known since the 17th century as the town of seven towers, Martel began as a salt market at a crossroads of the Quercy causse and grew rich as a trading town under the viscounts of Turenne. Pale stone houses with red-brown roofs ring a cobbled square and its 18th-century market hall, where a truffle market is held each winter. Henry the Young King died here in 1183.
Highlights
- The fortified church of Saint-Maur, with its Romanesque tympanum and tall bell tower (FR)
- The Hôtel de la Raymondie, built around 1280 for the Turenne family (FR)
- Wednesday and Saturday markets under the hall, plus a winter truffle market
- The July Wool Fair, with prizes for the best fleeces
- A museum of finds from Puy d'Issolud, identified as Caesar's Uxellodunum
Text adapted from Wikipedia (Martel (Lot), Martel, Lot, Martel (Francia)). Available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Population: 1,637
Things to see
- Halle de Martel (FR)
- Hôtel Fabri (FR)
- Maison Arcambal (FR)
- Reptiland (FR)
- chapelle de Malodène (FR)
- Église Notre-Dame-de-l'Assomption de Murel (FR)
Events through the year
- Foire à la LaineWool fair under the market hall, with prizes for the best fleeces
Dates follow the traditional patterns in our sources: check locally before you travel.
Adapted from Wikipedia (Martel, Lot). Available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Local food & wine
- TrufflesLocal produceBlack truffle trade, with an annual truffle market in winter
- WalnutsLocal produceTraded in Martel since the 19th century, like truffles and preserves
Adapted from Wikipedia (Martel, Lot, Martel (Lot)). Available under CC BY-SA 4.0.
Where to sleep
3 places to stay within 3 km
- Campsites 2
- B&Bs and guest houses 1
Data © OpenStreetMap contributors (ODbL).
Nearby member villages
- Carennac · 9.9 km
- Curemonte · 13 km
- Turenne · 13 km
- Collonges-la-Rouge · 14 km
- Rocamadour · 15 km