Page 331 - Lonely Planet France’s Best Trips (Travel Guide)

Puy’s other ecclesiastical Dame de France (adult/ The last stretch along the D920,
sights. Perched on the top child €4/2; h9am-7pm May- D107 and D141 tracks the course
of an 85m-high volcanic Sep, 10am-5pm Feb-Apr & Oct– of the Lot River, turning briefly
pillar is the Chapelle St- mid-Nov). A creaky spiral onto the D901 to Conques.
Michel d’Aiguilhe (www. staircase winds its way
rochersaintmichel.fr; adult/ to the top of the 22.7m- TRIP HIGHLIGHT
child €3.50/2; h9am-6.30pm tall, 835-tonne statue, 2 Conques
May-Sep, shorter hours rest including the pedestal;
of year, closed mid-Nov–Jan), you can peep out through The next stop for medi-
Le Puy’s oldest chapel portholes for dizzying eval pilgrims would have
(established in the 10th vistas over the town. been Conques – or more
century). Carved directly specifically, the Abbey
into the rock, its cave-like 54 p333 Church of Ste-Foy, built
atmosphere and 12th- The Drive » From Le Puy to to house the holy relics
century frescos create an Conques, it’s a scenic half-day of its namesake saint, a
otherworldly atmosphere. drive of around 220km. Take the young woman martyred
On another nearby twisty D589, passing through during the 4th century.
peak is an enormous the spectacular Gorges de In fact, the relics proved
cast-iron statue of the l’Allier to Saugues. Follow the so popular that the origi-
D989 under the A75 highway,
Virgin Mary, aka Notre then join the D921 to Espalion. nal 8th-century church PYRENEES & SOUTHWEST FRANCE 30 CHEAT’S COMPOSTELA
had to be rebuilt with
extra chapels, a higher
roof and a viewing gal-
lery to accommodate the
Parc Naturel Régional HAUTE- pilgrim traffic.
des Volcans LOIRE Le Puy- It’s a classic example
l
d'Auvergne en-Velay
# \
# \ Langeac # \ # 1 L of a pilgrimage church:
CANTAL 0 ¸ St-Flour # \ # 0¸ # \ # simple and serene, with
D589
N122
D590
\
# \ / · Saugues St-Privat- architectural flourishes
Aurillac 0 ¸ d'Allier kept to a minimum. It’s
0 ¸ D989 # \ St-Chely d'Apcher laid out to a cruciform
D920
Figeac 0 ¸ 0 ¸ Aumont- # \ LOZÈRE / · (cross-shaped) design,
Aubrac
D921
N88
# # D107
3
\ #
# Le Monastier Mende
#
2
#
Conques Espalion # \ # \ # \
\
/ · Chanac Parc National LINK
des Cévennes
N88
# \ # \ YOUR
# \
Villefranche Rodez Florac TRIP
de Rouergue
AVEYRON
# \ Millau # \ v The Pyrenees
# \ GARD Alès For fantastic mountain
Roquefort # \ La Cavalerie
# \ Albi 0 ¸ # \ scenery, veer off 140km
# \ D992 Parc Naturel / · south of Condom at Pau to
A75
Régional des
TARN Grands Causses begin our Pyrenees trip.
Castres | The Lot Valley
# \ Parc Naturel # ]
Régional du Haut- HÉRAULT Montpellier You can do two trips
Languedoc in one by incorporating our
Sète # \ Golfe de trip through the beautiful
# \ Beziers # \ Beauduc Lot Valley as your route from
Montréal # \ Carcassonne Cahors to Figeac.
# \ # \ Narbonne
AUDE M E D I T E R R A N E A N
# \
Limoux Sigean # \ S E A 329