We set off by 9:15 this morning. Our first stop was in the bastide town of Gourdon, where
we took a hike up to the top of the hill and visited Eglise Saint-Pierre de Gourdon, built in Gothic style starting in 1304.
we took a hike up to the top of the hill and visited Eglise Saint-Pierre de Gourdon, built in Gothic style starting in 1304.
Our next stop was in Rocamadour, a small town built on the edge of a cliff above the River Alzou, dating back to prehistoric times, it became a medieval pilgrimage site, with its first church built in the 12th century. The Basilique St. Saveur is the largest of seven churches Rocamadour and is built into the cliff face. The Black Madonna, carved in the 11th century, is in the Chapelle Notre Dame, a small chapel built in 1479. Rocamadour is a UNESCO World Heritage Site as part of the St. James Pilgrimage Route. After walking about Rocamadour, we had lunch in a cliff side restaurant.
After lunch, we had a 3:15 reservation at Grouffre de Padirac. The largest underground cave in Europe, we descended 103 meters via staircase, and took a boat trip down an underground river viewing spectacular galleries of formations along the way. We got out of the boats and went up 150 steps then back down 154 steps, to see various lakes inside the cave, a stalactite over 60 meters high, and the Grand Domr at 94 meters. Grouffre de Padirac was incredibly beautiful. We’ve never seen anything like it!
