Page 390 - Lonely Planet France’s Best Trips (Travel Guide)

Rocamadour’s car parks are The Drive » From the town’s
above the old city in L’Hospitalet. main car parks in L’Hospitalet,
All in, the journey covers 54km. head north along the D673 and
follow the signs to Martel, 22km GUY CHRISTIAN / GETTY IMAGES ©
away.
TRIP HIGHLIGHT
5 Rocamadour
Clinging precariously to 6 Martel
a rocky cliffside, the holy Known as la ville aux
town of Rocamadour sept tours (the town of
looks like something seven towers) thanks to
out of Lord of the Rings. its turret-topped skyline,
It’s been an important this delightful village was
pilgrimage destination the ancient capital of the
since the Middle Ages Vicomte de Turenne. It’s
thanks to the supposedly crammed with fascinat-
miraculous powers of ing architecture, best
its Vierge Noire (Black seen around the place
Madonna), which is now de la Halle. The covered
housed in the Chapelle de market still boasts many
Notre Dame, one of sev- of its medieval roof
eral chapels that make up beams, and one of the
the town’s Sanctuaires town’s namesake towers
(Sanctuaries). can be seen above the
The old town itself Palais de la Raymondi
(known as La Cité) (built for a 13th-century
consists of one long tax collector but now
medieval thoroughfare, home to the village’s tour-
ATLANTIC COAST 36 DORDOGNE’S FORTIFIED VILLAGES
overflowing (just as in ist office). You’ll spot the
the pilgrims’ day) with other towers as you wan-
souvenir shops and tour- der round town, including
isty restaurants. One of La Tour Tournemire, a
the medieval gateways is square tower which once
still standing at the end served as a prison, and
of the Grande Rue. the Cordeliers Tower,
From here, a stone the only remains of a
staircase leads to the 13th-century Franciscan
Sanctuaries, and a Sta- monastery. Try to time
tions of the Cross path your visit with the lively
switchbacks up the markets on Wednesday
cliff emerging next to and Saturday.
Rocamadour’s 14th-
century château (€2; 54 p391
h8am-8pm). During the The Drive » Spend the night
Middle Ages, pilgrims in Martel, then pick up the D840
would have climbed the all the way to Figeac, a historic
steps on their knees as a riverside town that makes a
demonstration of piety, good spot to stop for coffee and
but these days you can cake. From here, continue south
cheat by catching a lift on the D922 to Villefranche de
Rouergue. Plan on covering the
and then a cable car. 95km in 1¾ hours.
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