Vayrac to Rocamadour and back

October 16, 2022

Rocamadour is one of the better known destinations in this part of France and everything we heard indicated that it well deserved the hype. A church and chateau built into a cliff, a pilgrimage destination since the 1100s that has attracted Saints, Kings, Queens, Popes and countless less famous people and a truly spectacular sight. Our planned visit earlier this week was foiled by rain, so we were excited to head out under blue skies.

We opted for the direct route on the D803 and D840, partly because we were keen to get there and would have been impatient on back roads, but also we were counting on Sunday morning in October light traffic -and no trucks or busses! The ride was perfect: fast, smooth, clear roads, moderate inclines, blue skies and glimpses of views into the Dordogne valley. The final few km were hard as we faced a strong wind, but then, in less than 2 hours, we were there at the top of the ravine. The popularity in high season is evident from the multiple parking lots that get increasingly expensive moving closer to the chateau. Another advantage to being on bicycles, and there was a solid rack to lock onto right at the top.

The Chateau at the very top was closed for lunch, so we headed down to the Church. Pilgrims and true devotees are supposed to start at the bottom, but we walked the stations of the cross path in reverse, winding our way to the middle level. It is truly amazing how, almost a thousand years ago, people figured out how to build a large church right into the cliff wall. It has been modified and renovated many times since, but that it still stands is the real miracle.

Having just read Timothy Egan's "Pilgrimage to Eternity" in which he explains that in the Middle Ages, a church needed to have some good miracles and relics to attract the pilgrim trade, my spiritual experience of Rocamandour was affected, but the visual impact was undiminished. (see photo captions)

The buildings, the plaques, the rock, the natural ravine, all are spectacular and we marvelled how fortunate we were to be here without the summer crowds. The walk down and up with many pauses to gawk at splendours, take photos, rest, window shop for leather bags and jewelry, all took a couple of hours, by which time we were ready for the ride home.

The wind was behind us now and it seemed to be more downhill so we buzzed along the main road for 25km before turning off onto a series of back roads to bring us home to our apartment in Vayrac.

First view of Rocamadour approached from the top.

The road down to the bottom of town. We took the steeper path.

The Way of the Cross path to the bottom.

The church yard is full of kids working on a scavenger hunt type assignment, likely on a Sunday school trip. The presence of children added so much life to the place.

The church is built right into the cliff face. It has attracted pilgrims for 900 years.

Perhaps some native people bringing spruce buds or other plants had something to do with this cure too?

We wondered why model ships would be hanging in this chapel and found a plaque that described a bell that rings miraculously when ships are in danger and saves drowning sailors. Not sure how this worked, especially as Rocamadour is a long way from the ocean, but miracles are a matter of faith, not logic.

The Black Madonna statue sits in a gilded reliquary wearing a white shawl. The statue was carved by the disciple Luke and brought to France by Amadour, who was a servent to the family of Mary and helped look after the baby Jesus. The statue had 126 miracles attributed in the 12th Century when Rocamadour was getting known as a pilgrimage destination.

Exit through the street of gift shops at the bottom of the village.

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Today's ride: 59 km (37 miles)
Total: 1,210 km (751 miles)

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Susan CarpenterDelighted you made it this amazing place - I was worried you might miss it when you were rained out the other day. And thanks for the miracle recaps!
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2 years ago

Rachael AndersonI’m glad you made it to this amazing place! Your photos are wonderful!
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2 years ago