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High
points
Pilgrims
are welcome all year round.
The Feast of the Assumption: 14th and 15th August
The Marian week including the two Sundays around the 8th September
For
your stay
* Hotels (1,2,3 stars) : 421 rooms
* Camp sites (2 and 3 stars) : 268 emplacements
* Gites and furnished appartements 9 (total capacity
50 persons)
* Guest Houses : 12 rooms * Farm campsites : 3
* Centre Notre Dame (welcome centre run by the direction
of pilgrimages) : 44 rooms (59 beds + temporary beds can welcome
for up to 100 meals).
Youth accommodation Cheap lodgings : 20 places with
sanitary facilities and equipped kitchen In the near future
a "youth camp"
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Your
contacts
Tourism Office
46500 ROCAMADOUR
Tél. 05 65 33 22 00
Fax 05 65 33 22 01
e-mail: rocamadour@wanadoo.fr
Direction
of Pilgrimages
46500 ROCAMADOUR
Tél. 05 65 33 23 23
Fax 05 65 33 23 24 |
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How
to get There
- By
road :
Rocamadour is situated at less than 30 km from the RN 20
and A20 highway Paris-Toulouse
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By train :
Rocamadour station (4 km from the village) and Gramat station
(10 km). Direct links with the "Capitole" (Paris-Toulouse
express)
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By Air :
Brive airport at 45 minutes. Direct links with Paris (all
year) Airports at Toulouse and Bordeaux at 2 hours travel
(national and international flights)
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On the pilgrimage site :
Two elevators allow easy access to the three different levels
: a "motorised train" is available for the visits of the
medieval city and the Alzou canyon.
Rocamadour
official Web Site |
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History
and Message
- For
how many years has the "Dark Valley", this ravine carved out by
the river Alzou in the limestone plateau welcomed pilgrims come
to pray to mary in one of the many caves in the cliff ? For ages,
considering the 6th century bell and the miracles spoken of as
far back as the 12th century in the parish of ste marie of Rocamadour.
- In
1166 a discovery close to the little chapel -the miraculously
preserved body of an hermit (therafter named Amadou), Amator of
the Rock (he who loves rock) - gave a new impetus to the pilgrimage
and inspired the daring construction of 7 churches and a monastery
clinging to the cliff-face just above the town.
- Since
the 12th century the Black Virgin with her peaceful, smiling face,
with her outstretched hands has "presented" her Son to pilgrims
coming from all over Europe, on the way to Santiago de Compostella
and now from the four corners of the world.
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- From
King St Louis of France, Henri Plantegenet, King of England
and Alphonse III of Portugal to the French Minister Edmond Michelet,
from preachers such as St Dominic, St Antony of Padua, to sailors
such as Jacques Cartier, from Rhenish ministrels to the composer
Francis Poulenc, unknown or famous, they all climbed the Great
Staircase giving their testimonies of many favours obtained from
Notre Dame de Rocamadour in the "Book of Miracles" (12th century),
in their own chronides (reports) or by their confidences and let
models of boats, plainter's palette, prisoners' chains, cripples'
walking sitcks or paintings by way of ex-votos.
- Today
the impressive cliff still invites us to ponder on the meaning
of life ; the shrine erched between earth and sky offers pilgrim
a marvellous view of the Church and the statue reminds us across
the centuries of the tireless prayer of Mary, Our Mother. Rocamadour
is no ordinary place ; it is a pilgrimage experience, or experience
again.
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Tourist
Environment
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In the heart of Quercy region, close
to the Dordogne valley, Rocamadour and the vast empty spaces of
the Gramat plateau welcome you. Discreet, sometimes secret, but
nevertheless ever present, water sculptes the soft chalk rock,
carving strange and beautiful sights : Grotto of Marvels (at Rocamadour
itself : prehistoric paintings), Grotto Lacave (at 10 km, with
its famous' black light') and Padirac Chasme (at 17 km, one of
the most remarkable - and famous - grottos in the world).
- In
Rocamadour itself, you can discover : Eagles'Rock (see birds of
pray in tree flight), the Ape's Forest (a forest where 150 monkeys
live in complete freedom), the Aquarium (fresh water fishes),
the miniature village of 'Rail' (of people and scenes from everyday
life)...
- The
site of Rocamadour and the sanctuaries are lit up each evening
from Palm Sunday until the 11 th of November, as well as for the
end of year celebrations. In a circle of 50 kilometers are the
towns of Souillac, Figeac, Canors, Saint-Circq-Lapopie, Sarlat...
Also close by, the entire Quercy en Perigord regions.
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