Rocamadour

Rocamadour clings to a cliff above the gorge of the Alzou in three tiers: houses by the river, churches halfway up and a castle on top, echoing the three orders of medieval society. Since the 12th century pilgrims have come to venerate the Black Virgin and the tomb of Saint Amadour, some still climbing the great stairway on their knees. It also gives its name to a small goat's cheese.

Highlights

• The 216-step stairway that pilgrims climbed on their knees to the sanctuaries
• The Black Virgin in the miraculous chapel, one of seven built into the rock
• Basilica of Saint-Sauveur and crypt of Saint-Amadour, both World Heritage listed (FR)
• Rocamadour goat's-milk cheese, protected by an AOC since 1996
• Grotte des Merveilles, a cave with Palaeolithic drawings

Text adapted from Wikipedia (Rocamadour (FR), Rocamadour (EN)), Wikivoyage (Rocamadour (FR), Rocamadour (EN)). Available under CC BY-SA 4.0.