France trip, Oct 2009 - Rocamadour

You can see Rocamadour from afar. It is lodged half-way up a limestone cliff overlooking the gorge of the River Alzou.

Its sanctuary of the Blessed Virgin Mary has for centuries attracted pilgrims from every country. It was once ranked just behind Rome, Jerusalem and Santiago de Compostela as a pilgrimage site. That is saying a lot to me. And according to one of my sources, this town is currently the second most visited pilgrimage site in France after the infamous Le Mont St-Michel.

We went at late afternoon and we didn't spot any pilgrims. We found the Grand Escalier to the sanctuary which has 216 steps. These steps were once climbed by pilgrims on their knees but nowadays, there is the option of taking a lift. It was getting late so we didn't climb up to the top.

Rocamadour is also famous for its young goat cheese, not that I found any in the single street of the town. They are served in most of the fine-dining restaurants in the region. This cheese I would highly recommend, as long as you don't mind goat cheese.