Collonges la Rouge  Famous throughout the middle ages as a place for pilgrimage. Rocamadour was a major pilgrimage site and a staging post on the road to Santiago de Compostela in Spain. St Bernard, numerous kings of England and France and thousands of others crawled up the 200 odd chapel steps on their knees to pay their respects and seek cures for their illnesses. Gouffre de Padirac  | A truly atmospheric and perfect medieval village, made of red stone. Almost like a Walt Disney film set except that it is real, and just over an hour's drive from the house. Created in the middle ages as a holiday retreat for the well to do, they indulged their fantasies with money being no object. Now, it is still a living village, with plenty of restaurants to choose from when you have finished exploring.  Rocamadour  What you first see is a truly enormous hole in the ground which takes your breath away. At 100 feet wide and 250 feet deep, it certainly gives a new meaning to the definition of hole.The greatest treasures however, are underground, and the guided tour here is an absolute must. With dramatic limestone formations, and spectacular pools, the most beautiful of which, is a clear blue-green and is contained only by a naturally formed thin limestone rim in the Salle du grand Dôme. The Salle du grand Dôme is on an enormous scale, awe-inspiring to behold; it is difficult to judge the true dimensions of the cavern, but it is 300 feet high, with some truly enormous stalactites. Part of the journey underground is by boat, with many waterfalls, so take wet weather gear.  |
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