Circuit de Villefranche-de-Rouergue - Foissac
The centre of the bastide town of Villefranche-de-Rouergue, with its shops, restaurants and medieval houses, is ideal for a gourmet and cultural stopover.
Not to be missed: the 15th century Chartreuse Saint-Sauveur, the Chapel of the Black Penitents, a masterpiece of Baroque art, and the Collegiate Church of Notre-Dame, 14th and 15th centuries
To stroll in Villefranche-de-Rouergue is to enter the heart of history. On your way, become subtle in your search for differences in flora
The Rouergue fault has reflected in the vegetation, the difference in the nature of the land: Causse or Ségala. The Ségala will give you shade in the chestnut woods
Around the Capelle Balaguier, you will recognize the landscapes of the Causse, the horizons are open, crossed by hollow paths lined with small oaks, junipers, viornes..
Further on, your road will run along the Lot valley, a river navigating through wide fertile landscapes, you will follow its meanders and admire the limestone cliffs overhanging it
The visit of the cave and the prehistoric park of Foissac will delight you. The rooms and the 8 km of galleries adorned with sumptuous concretions and stalactites served as a refuge or cemetery for the man of the Chalcolithic period (2500 BC)
Further on, let yourself be surprised by Peyrusse-le-Roc, stronghold of the Counts of Toulouse and then of the King of France. This village offers an impressive fortified ensemble that defended a prosperous town in the Middle Ages
On the way back, the bastide town of Villeneuve d'Aveyron is worth a detour. It has a very beautiful church (11th century), murals evoke a tale related to the pilgrimage of Santiago de Compostela.
