Capdenac is a market town in the valley of the River Lot in southern France. Unlike other towns in the region which all date back many centuries Capenac was developed in the mid nineteenth century with the arrival of the steam train. The town is correctly called Capdenac Gare. Perched on rocks abover the valley is Capdenac le Haut, a medieval village and a tourist destination.  Down in the valley Capdenac Gare leads its own quiet life with a market on the main street every Saturday and car boot sales at weekends in the summer. On 14th July, Bastille Day, it has the best firework display in the area. 

I documented the town in the middle of August during one of the hottest summers on record so the streets were particularly quiet and the houses shuttered against the heat. Nevertheless the town has a friendliness and charm that can be lacking in places that are steeped in history and a magnet for tourists. It is the very opposite of Figeac that I visited in 2023.