After stuffing my face with the most lovely French breakfast at Manoir de Malagorse it was time to head to one of the most beautiful places on our Dordogne Valley itinerary: Rocamadour.
Just before we arrived, we stopped on the side of the road to enjoy beautiful views of this picturesque clifftop village in the Lot département.
Not a bad view, hey? We arrived at the perfect moment before it got crowded, I think May was a good time to visit Rocamadour as it is very busy in summertime.
Rocamadour is a tiny medieval village with one street filled with little shops and restaurants.
La maison du Saucisson was the only shop where I stopped at to fill up on my favourite French charcuterie ever. I bought a truffle saucisson which didn't last long on my return to Ireland...
We walked up the street to a stairway of 233 steps (very good to burn off all the French food I'd been binging on) to end up at the main attraction in Rocamadour: a square surrounded by no less than 8 churches and chapels.
It is a religious village which has been a place of pilgrimage since the 12th century and it's also a stop on the camino.
Definitely worth a visit if you're in the area but probably best to enjoy off season or in the early morning.
After visiting, Rocamadour we stopped at La Borie d'Imbert for a quick visit of the goat cheese farm. They produce Rocamadour Fermier which is a delicious small goat cheese with an AOP certification (it means this cheese can only be produced in this area).
Personally I love warm Rocamadour cheese on toasted bread, so indulgent! You can visit the farm for free, see the goats and the pigs and they have a few activities. Their shop is also full of local produce and well worth a visit (I bought some walnut craft beer and some delicious chestnut ice-cream while I was there).
It was then time to head off for a Michelin-starred gastronomic meal to Château de La Treyne but it deserves its very own post so tune in soon to hear about possibly our best meal in the Dordogne Valley.
Disclaimer: I was a guest of the Dordogne Valley tourism board, the local tourist boards and airports on this press trip. The full trip was complimentary, however I was not paid to write this article nor the upcoming ones. As usual, all opinions (including my love for French food and France) are my own!
