Rocamadour Travel Guide + Best Things To Do in France’s Cliffside Church
Rocamadour is a stunning and incredibly unique village in France, made famous for its jaw-dropping pilgrimage site of the Notre Dame Sanctuary.
This complex of chapels and churches is perched 120 meters (390 feet) up on the side of a cliff alongside a small gorge in the Alzou Valley of the Occitanie region.
Designated as one of “The Most Beautiful Villages in France” and a UNESCO World Heritage site, Rocamadour holds a significant place in history.
Between the 12th and 16th centuries, it was one of the four most important pilgrimage sites in Medieval Christendom, attracting thousands of pilgrims during its golden age.
Among its notable visitors were figures like Kings Charles IV, Philip VI, Louis XI, St. Bernard, St. Dominic, and Saint Louis.
Truly, Rocamadour is so unique and is easily one of the most beautiful and special churches in France. Its totally worth the time to stop by when you’re exploring the Occitanie region.
Here’s everything you need to know about a visit to this unique French village.
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Spots to See in Rocamadour
The Medieval Village
The village of Rocamdaour is teeny tiny, and is essentially just one long street. The far end of it starts by the Porte de Figuier Gate (the highway and parking are just outside of this gate), and the Grand Staircase is at the other end.
This village, though small, is very charming, with a variety of restaurants and shops visitors can stop in. The sanctuary towers above you as you walk down the pedestrian-only streets, with the chateau resting on top of the cliff – a stunning view.
You can access the sanctuary from several different points within the village – we’ll discuss these next.
How to Access the Notre Dame Sanctuary
There are 3 main ways to access the cliffside santuary.
- Walk up the Grand Staircase at the far end of the village. It’s a big spot – you can’t miss it. This will take you directly up and into the cliffside chapels.
- From approximately the center of town, there is an elevator that will take you directly up to the level of the sanctuary, bypassing the stairs. This elevator costs €3.30 for a roundtrip ride. There’s a second elevator which takes you from the sanctuary to the top of the cliff as well, where the chateau is. The sign for the elevator is pretty prominent; again, if you’re looking for it, you can’t miss it.
- Alternatively, you can also park at one of the lots at the top of the cliff (Lot 2) and walk down to the sanctuary from the top (and then walk or take the elevator back up again).
Of course, I think the experience of walking up the Grand Staircase is really nice, but the elevator is a totally valid option if stairs aren’t a good fit for you.
Grand Staircase
The Grand Staircase is large and impressive—216 steps in total. It’s divided into sections with little landings and courtyards along the way, so it doesn’t feel like one endless stretch of stairs.
Pilgrims traditionally walked up the staircase on their knees as a sign of devotion. Matthew went up a few stairs on his knees, just to have the full experience, but then was very happy to go back to regular climbing, ha!
No matter how you climb, the views over the village and valley as you go up are fantastic.
Notre Dame Sanctuary
Finally, you’ll reach the Notre Dame Sanctuary, the main attraction of the cliffside complex, perched about halfway up the cliff. The entrance features a striking, castle-like tower, with 8 chapels surrounding a central courtyard.
The most famous is the Chapelle Notre Dame de Rocamadour, which houses the Black Virgin Mary statue (Vierge Noire). This 12th-century statue has been associated with many miracles and is considered a protection for sailors.
Legend has it that the chapel’s bell, which has no ringer, sometimes rings on its own—an omen that a miracle is about to occur.
Next to the chapel is the Cathedral Saint-Sauveur, known for its double vaults and beautiful stained glass depicting the Good Shepherd. The organ inside is designed to resemble a ship – again a nod to Rocamadour’s protection over sailors.
Interestingly, a piece from Rocamadour was even taken to Canada by sailors and placed in a new church there, called the Rocamadour Church.
Six other, much smaller chapels and a crypt also suround the sanctuary courtyard. For example, Saint John the Baptist chapel displays plaques commemorating notable royals who made pilgrimages here.
Climbing the stairs and exploring the sanctuary is truly awe-inspiring – you’re surrounded by ancient buildings and archways, all overshadowed by the towering cliff and feeling like you’re just hanging off the mountainside.
Stations of the Cross
After you’ve explored the chapels surrounding the main courtyard in the sanctuary, you can continue out through the Porte Saint Martial, which looks strikingly like a castle tower.
This gate is on the opposite side of the sanctuary from the Grand Staircase. If you’ve taken the elevator up, you’ll enter the sanctuary through this gate.
Just outside this gate is the start of a cliffside garden, with a path that switchbacks up the mountain and past the 14 Stations of the Cross (Chemins de Croix, in French).
If you’re not familiar, the Stations of the Cross is a Catholic tradition where 12 stations remember a specific moment from the condemnation of Jesus through the Crucifixion.
As you climb, you’ll also pass a little grotto with a statue of Jesus being laid in the tomb. The path ends at the top of the cliff near the Jerusalem Cross, which offers great views over the valley, the sanctuary, and the castle.
Interestingly, this pathway was originally built in the 19th century to bring supplies to sanctuary, and was later modified into a religious walkway.
The Chateau
Perched dramatically at the top of the cliff, Rocamadour’s castle was built in the Middle Ages to defend the Sanctuary below.
While the castle itself is not open to the public, you can walk the castle ramparts, which gives great views looking back over the castle and garden.
There’s also a viewing platform that offers jaw-dropping views straight down onto the village and valley below. Honestly, it’s a vertigo-inducing, but absolutely worth it.
- Hours: 9 am to 7 pm
- Cost: €2
Chapelle de l’Hospitalet
Just outside the main village of Rocamadour, perched on the top of the cliff but on the opposite side, is the tiny community of Hospitalet. This area is home to the historic 13th-century Hospitalet Chapel, a small yet significant site surrounded by a quiet cemetery and old ruins.
This chapel was built to be the final stop for pilgrims before reaching the Notre Dame Sanctuary, and refreshed visitors and cared for the local needy.
You can wander the ruins or step inside the tiny chapel. There is paid street parking right next to the chapel.
Viewpoints
If you’re visiting Rocamadour, you have to stop at at least one of the great panoramic viewpoints locations – the views of the cliffside sanctuary are incredible!
There are several good viewpoints that you could consider.
1. First, there’s a little terrace (location) right next to the Belvedre Restaurant, which is just a 2 minute walk from the Hospitalet Chapel. This gives fantastic view that feels more “straight-on”.
2. The other good option is from Le Coin du Photographe platform (location), which gives you an epic side viewpoint. This was my personal favorite spot.
3. You can also find a couple of pulloff spots on road D32 – this is the road that cuts through the bottom of the gorge floor, essentially underneath the sanctuary.
We thought this wasn’t quite as good as the first two, but it is an option. The viewpoint is here, with the pulloff just around the corner, here.
4. Finally, there is a hill opposite the sanctuary that has some hiking trails. We saw a few pictures of people on this hill, near another large cross, when doing research about Rocamadour.
However, the employees at the tourism office in Rocamadour told us that you can no longer hike up the hill because it’s private property and viewpoints are closed off.
Photo Map of Rocamadour
To help you visualize a little better where everything is in relation to each other, here’s a photo map of Rocamadour.
Parking
There are several lots in the area, as well as some street parking right next to the main entrance of Rocamadour. These can be very hard to get unless you are very early. Some of the primary spots are:
The P5 Lot: This is one of the lots below Rocamadour. You’ll have to walk up a bit to get to the village, but it is fairly convenient.
The P2 Lot: This is one of the lots at the top of the cliff right next to the chateau and offers the closest access to it, the elavator, and the top of the Stations of the Cross trail. Personally I think the experience of Rocamadour is best going from the bottom up, so this lot wouldn’t be my first choice.
Along the ridge: Three of the convenient parking spots are this lot by the Le Coin du Photographe platform, street parking near the hospital along D673, and P1 which has the benefit of being by nice restrooms. But there really are quite a few lots along the ridge, as well as a lot by the Belvedere Restaurant for customers.
How Long Do You Need to Visit Rocamadour?
Rocamadour is mighty but small – a half day is plenty to see and do everything in the town and sanctuary. You could even get away with just 2 hours here.
Where to Go Next
Rocamadour, at the heart of the Occitanie region, is surrounded by many other incredible places to visit, including:
- Toulouse: France’s 4th largest city known as the Pink City, thanks to all the brick buildings in town
- Albi: A big hidden gem in France known as the Episcopal City, with a stunning church
- Carcassonne: The biggest Medieval walled city in western Europe
- Sarlat-la-Caneda: A nearby charming village
- Cordes-sur-Ciel and Bruniquel are cute perched villages in Occitanie as well.
- Bordeaux: One of my favorite French cities with stunning architecture and landmarks
The Wrap Up
An old local saying describes Rocamadour as “Houses on the river, churches on the houses, rocks on the churches, castle on the rock” – which we think is a fun way to really describe how the natural features and human-made buildings all meld together in this charming, one-of-a-kind location in France.
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