SIGHT SEEING IN PARIS DORDOGNE MAP PLUS

La Vierge Noire in the Chapelle Notre-Dame, Rocamadour.

In 1112, the Abbot of Tulle settled in Rocamadour, and people started making donations to the chapel sanctuary. Rare documents mention that in 1105 a small chapel was built in a shelter of the cliff, just within the territories and influence of two Benedictine abbeys, Saint-Martin at Tulle and Saint-Pierre at Marcilhac-sur-Célé. The three levels of the village that we see today date from the Middle Ages, reflecting the three orders of society of those times: the knights above, linked to religious clerics in the middle, and the lay workers down near the river. Enjoy panoramic views from the archbishop’s palace, Rocamadour. During the Iron Age, the settlement was inhabited by people thought to have been Germanic, and remains of iron weapons have been found downstream nearby, as well as tangible links to local tribes’ violent opposition to the Roman invaders during the Gallic wars. The vestiges are now in the museum at Cabrerets and the Hotel de Ville in Rocamadour. The many caves above the village were dwellings in the Paleolithic era, as shown in drawings in two of the caves, namely the Grotte des Merveilles and the Grotte de Linars. Staircase leading down into the Grotte des Merveilles, Rocamadour. The first sight of it brings gasps of awe as you gaze up at what is, in reality, a tiny village, whose successive levels cling high above the Alouz canyon. Its setting, in a gorge above a tributary of the River Dordogne, is one of the most spectacular sites in France and understandably, attracts hordes of visitors every year. Rocamadour from the opposite side of the Alouz canyon.Īlthough Rocamadour is in the departement of the Lot, when it comes to planning an itinerary of the region, it tends to be thought of as simply in the Dordogne-in fact, it’s sometimes referred to as being “at the gates of the Dordogne valley”. Lying about 50kms to the south-west, or an hour’s drive away, it too could be added to a stay in Sarlat. As there was so much to discuss about Sarlat, there was no space to mention another “must see” in the area, namely the town of Rocamadour. There are so many fascinating towns to discover in the Dordogne, and last time we looked at Sarlat, one of the gems of the region. The village of Rocamadour is still a pilgrimage site. As if all this were not enough to enchant the visitor, the Dordogne also has some of the best food in the country. The region has some lovely towns and stunning châteaux and romantic ruins to explore, fascinating cave complexes decorated with prehistoric drawings, ancient Roman sites, numerous World Heritage Sites and some of the most beautiful scenery in the country.

SIGHT SEEING IN PARIS DORDOGNE MAP PLUS

There are many beautiful villages-a number of which are members of Les Plus Beaux Villages de France organisation-enough to keep a visitor occupied for weeks. Recently we’ve been looking at a number of beautiful places to visit in the Dordogne-a region blessed with a wealth of attractions.

Sight seeing in paris dordogne map