I've always had a fascination for buildings that are built into, or cling to cliffs. I don't know why. But, as a kid I would pick up National Geographic and look with particular wonder at the cliff houses of Mesa Verde, or the buildings carved into rock at Petra.

That is why, on any trip to the the Dordogne, in France, the village of Rocamadour (about 100 miles north of Toulouse) was an absolute 'must see'.


Topped by the chateau, the sanctuaries are built into the cliff face

At the top of the village above the cliff is the chateau which was built in the Middle Ages to defend the sanctuaries, which cling to the cliff below.

Pilgrims used to come to Rocamadour and climb the 200-step Grand Escalier (great stair or steps) on their knees. It is hard enough work on one's feet! (There is an elevator for those who find the stairs a problem.)


Looking up to the sanctuaries and the castle from the main street

But those who climb from the quaint mediaeval street below are rewarded with the extraordinary sight of various chapels surrounding the terrace named Plateau de Saint Michel, all clinging to the side of a cliff.


Looking up at the chateau from the main street in Rocamadour

The main sanctuary is the Church of Notre Dame (dating from 1479). This is where you will find the famous Black Madonna, supposedly carved out of wood by St Amadour, after whom the village is named. The other sanctuaries are the Basilique St Sauveur dating from the 11th to 13th centuries and the Chapelle St-Michel, tucked in below the shelter of the cliff. The Chapelle Miraculeuse, which contains the relics of St Amadeur, has an 8th century clock - one of the oldest known clocks.


Looking down from the sanctuaries on the main street