Guide · around Château du Boscau
Rocamadour
Rocamadour from the château (27 km)
Perched above the Alzou gorge, 27 km from Château du Boscau, lies Rocamadour: a sacred place for pilgrims, clinging to the limestone cliff. The village is famous for its shrine of the Black Madonna and draws large numbers of visitors every year. After Mont Saint-Michel, it’s the most visited site in France.
Of all the places in this series of guides, Rocamadour is further from the château than most — and also the best known, with by far the highest visitor numbers in the whole region.
Rocamadour is in the Lot department, just like Château du Boscau. It’s about three-quarters of an hour’s drive from the château, through the quiet, green Causse, passing a few of the villages that also feature on our area page.
For most of our guests, Rocamadour is a longer trip that still works comfortably as a day out from the château: far enough to see something genuinely different, close enough to be back at our table in the evening.
What you'll see
Rocamadour rises in tiers up the cliff face. At the bottom lies the village itself, with small shops and restaurants along a narrow street. Halfway up is the “Cité religieuse”: a group of seven chapels around a small square, including the Chapelle Notre-Dame with the Black Madonna, the statue at the heart of the whole pilgrimage. Right at the top, on the edge of the plateau, stand the castle and its ramparts, looking out over the gorge.
The Grand Escalier, a stairway of 216 steps, links the village to the shrine. For centuries pilgrims climbed it on their knees, saying a Hail Mary on every step. Rocamadour lies on the Chemins de Compostelle, the routes to Santiago de Compostela, which is why its religious buildings have been on the UNESCO World Heritage List since 1998.
Pilgrims who completed the journey were once given a small lead medallion, the sportelle, bearing the Virgin and Saint Amadour: proof that they had made it up the stairway. According to tradition, even King Louis IX once climbed it on his knees — the king after whom our self-catering apartment Louis IX is named, and some of whose relics are still kept in the Collégiale St Louis, close to our own château.
When to go
July and August are by far the busiest months: that’s when the car parks around the village fill up fastest and the narrow street at the bottom is most crowded. Travel blogs about the area recommend going early in the morning or leaving it until late afternoon, when it’s quieter and the light on the rock is at its most beautiful.
Rocamadour is a truly special place: a Marian pilgrimage site built against the cliff face. Did you know Rocamadour is sometimes named as the inspiration for the city of Minas Tirith in the Lord of the Rings films? There is plenty of (paid) parking everywhere. Allow a whole day to visit this little town.
Combine with
Rocamadour is about 15 km from the Gouffre de Padirac (12 km from the château): together they make a natural day out, with the underground river as a counterpoint to the rock above ground. On the way back to the château you can also stop off in Autoire or Loubressac, both only 6 km from Boscau and covered together in a single guide.
Rather not do two big sights in one day? Rocamadour also works well as a day out on its own, with a short stop on the way back at one of the smaller villages in our area guide. If you’d rather head towards the Dordogne, combine Rocamadour with Souillac or Martel, each with its own guide.
You can combine a visit to Rocamadour with the Rocher des Aigles birds-of-prey park. Very impressive: a few times a day there’s a show in which the birds fly freely above Rocamadour.
Back to the château
After a day at Rocamadour you’re soon back at Boscau. By arrangement we serve a three-course dinner of local and organic produce as our table d’hôtes, or you can enjoy a pot of tea and something sweet in our own tea garden.
So after a long day out, there’s no need to cook or hunt for a restaurant: step out of the car and you’re at the table in no time, in the garden of the château that is the starting point for everything in this guide.
At the entrance to the old town you will find Le Quercygnac: honest regional dishes, generous portions and a lunch menu with starter and main course at a friendly price. Just right after a morning in the little streets.
Rocamadour suits every stay
Pick one of the stays as your base, and make Rocamadour part of your time in the Lot.