Rocamadour

.Rocamadour is a very famous village that welcomes millions of visitors every year.

Firstly because Rocamadour is an important pilgrimage destination, and has been for 1000 years. Built on the site of a shrine to a Madonna, the shrine became famous for its healing powers, and soon became a stop on the pilgrimage path to Santiago de Campostela.

The second reason is because of the beautiful and dramatic setting of the village, climbing up a cliff side.

Rocamadour is one of the Grand Sites of France.  The village consists of only one street that can be entered by one of the four gates.

The Grand Escalier (216 steps, once climbed by pilgrims on their knees) leads from the village to the sanctuaries. The sanctuaries include the Chapelle Notre Dame - home to the Black Madonna - and the basilica Saint-Sauveur; the Saint-Michel chapel; the Palace of the Bishops (Palais des Eveques) and three chapels.

Many notable people visited Rocamadour over the years, including St. Bernard, St. Dominic, St. Louis, King Louis XI, and possibly evenCharlemagne, on his way to battle the Moors in Spain.