Rocamadour, France 🇫🇷 2023

Date: 21st September 2023

Travelled: 160 kms from Cahors to Souillac-de-Dordogne  

Visited: Rocamadour  

Stayed: Souillac, €13, N44.89140, E01.47610  

Budget: 122 days @ €95 per day

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Amongst the 25 or so camper-cars in the car park at Cahors last night we find a couple of UK registered motorhomes, mostly people are sitting in chairs next to their vans, so we wander over and start a conversation. Apparently Cahors is on the short route to Spain for the English, so where told.

Anyway one of the couples tell us about Rocamadour. It’s not far out of our way so why not, I set the GPS for a car-park near the village and we set off on our way.

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Setting the GPS for Rocamadour is a lot easier than actually getting there. There are weight restrictions requiring detours on our first attempt, we eventually find taking the long way around to the top car-park (an extra 10 kms) gets us there.

Pictured below, Rocamadour hanging on the side of a cliff above the River Alzou.

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We walk the ramparts and start our way down the path to the Chapelle-Notre-Dame.

Without overcooking the religious significance of Rocamadour our guide book tells us the village and its association with the Black Madonna makes it one of the most important stops on the French pilgrimage route to Santiago-de-Compostela in Spain. If your unfamiliar with the legend of the Black Madonna or you missed Sunday School that week, click this link.

Rocamadour only has one street, Rue de la Couronnerie, yet there are seven churches and chapels up the Via Sancta, the 223 steps leading up to the Notre-Dame.

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Pictured below, inside the Notre-Dame. Gothic in style and partially built into the cliff face. The organ was particular interesting perched as it is between two columns.

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Whilst we did see a few people obviously walking the pilgrim’s trail, it’s mostly tourists like ourselves that wander Rocamadour. The are more Tat shops than churches I’m sorry to report,

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So that’s it, Rocamadour is done. Our €6 parking fee covers us overnight but we need to keep moving north so we set the GPS for Souillac in the Dordogne. Mind you the drive north on the D road is lovely despite the drizzle. As John Snow said winter is coming.

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Michael + Pam