Welcome to the country of souillac

Set in the heart of the Dordogne Valley mid-way between Rocamadour and Sarlat, close to many caves, castles, museums and some of the “Most Beautiful Villages in France”, Souillac is the gateway to the South of France.

This charming little town in its picturesque setting has plenty to offer: the Abbey church, the former parish church of St. Martin (12th century tympanum), seven railway viaducts, the National Museum of Automata, and the atmospheric old streets, which you can stroll around at leisure, or visit on the little road train.

Quality accommodation is available to you: hotels, camp sites, holiday cottages, bed and breakfast, furnished lets, holiday villages, etc… And our flavoursome, refined local cuisine is here to tempt you: foie gras, truffles, duck, Cahors wine, fine plum brandy – the pride of the Quercy-Perigord region, all given pride of place by our chefs.

This is a grouping of communes formed by a small town, Souillac, surrounded by 8 villages : Lacave, Lachapelle-Auzac, Lanzac, Le Roc, Mayrac, Meyronne, Pinsac and St Sozy. Each of these communes has something fascinating to show you.

• Lacave

Between Souillac and Rocamadour, Lacave is a pleasant little village surrounded by several tourist attractions such as the Lacave caves, the “Préhistologia” Prehistoric Park, Belcastel Castle, La Treyne Castle and Saint Georges Church in Meyraguet. A variety of types of accommodation and restaurants is available, from farm camp sites to luxury hotels and farm inns to a Michelin-starred restaurant. A place not to be missed, where the Ouysse and Dordogne valleys meet. 

• Lachapelle-Auzac

This commune is formed of several hamlets: Lachapelle-Haute, Lamothe Timbergues and the Soulages estate and Reyrevignes, and is crossed by the main Paris-Toulouse railway line, the A20 motorway, the D820, D803 and D15. It is also crossed by three streams: the Blagour, the Borrèze and the Boulet. It used to be a mainly agricultural area, but its closeness to Souillac has led to its becoming increasingly residential.

• Lanzac

This little village on the banks of the Dordogne (whose pebbly beaches are popular with holidaymakers) is part of a commune which is still mainly agricultural and is made up of several hamlets: La Borie, La Durantie, Cieurac and Le Bourg, which provide pleasant destinations for walks.

• Le Roc

Between Perigord and Quercy, on the Dordogne alluvial plain bordered with walnut and poplar trees, stands the commune of Le Roc. The ruins of the feudal castle crown the rocky escarpment which overlooks the village and from which it takes its name.

• Mayrac

This picturesque little village stands above the Creysse-Meyronne-Saint Sozy stretch of the Dordogne Valley. Its setting and the quality of conservation of its old buildings, between the church and the castle, make it attractive to visitors.

• Meyronne

A chapel stands on the cliffs of the Sainte Marie rocks, providing a viewpoint over the valley. A 14th century chapel and houses overlook the river.

• Pinsac

A riverside village, Pinsac developed on a shallow alluvial terrace within a meander of the Dordogne. As with all the riverside villages, a port enabled the exchange of goods from one bank to the other. In the centre of the village, the major alterations made to the church in the 12th and 19th centuries are still visible.

• Saint-Sozy

12 km from Souillac, close to the Lacave caves, in the Dordogne Valley in the heart of Haut-Quercy, Saint Sozy is a very old commune. This very pleasant village on the Dordogne, with its old, red-tiled houses, stands opposite Meyronne, built on the other bank. Saint Sozy is popular with visitors thanks to its superb setting.

The Souillac Area is situated in the Dordogne Valley in the Lot, which has « Area of Art and History » status . With or without a guide, on foot or by little road train, you can visit the old streets and explore Souillac's architectural heritage and that of the little villages which surround it. 

• Explore Souillac...The choice is yours !!!

Guided tour of the old quarters and the banks of the Dordogne with the little road train
Departure outside the Tourist Office 

• Walking tour of Souillac lasting about 1 ½ hours : the old town centre and the Romanesque Abbey church of Sainte-Marie

Start from the Tourist Office

The private castle of Belcastel and the Château de la Treyne, a Relais-Château hotel whose French-style gardens are open to the public, are the Souillac Area's pride and joy and head up a long list of buildings of the same architectural quality to be seen within a very small radius.

1. Château d'Assier

Renaissance château of which only the entrance wing remains. Some very fine sculpture, built from 1520 onwards by Galiot de Genouillac - Chief Equerry of France, Master of Artillery under Francis 1st. A gem of south-western Renaissance Architecture.

• Château de Castelnau-Bretenoux

Very imposing 12th-15th century fortress, modified in the 17th C., this castle is one of the finest examples of military architecture from the Middle Ages. Surrounded by a double line of walls, it has a keep and, a rarity, the lord's apartments. Chapel.Sculpture Gallery. Furniture. Objets d'art. Tapestries.

• Château de Montal

Renaissance gem. The architecture and sculptures are worthy of a royal palace. Monumental staircase. Tapestries and furniture of the 16th and 17th centuries. Renaissance interior courtyard.

All along the Dordogne Valley, there are many caves and chasms of geological and/or prehistoric interest open to the public. They take you deep into the history of our Earth with their impressive stalactites and stalagmites, but they also take you on a journey to the beginnings of our civilisation through their cave paintings. .

• Grottes de Lacave

''The synthesis of French caves'' N.Casteret. 12 fairy-tale caverns including one 2 000 m2 in area lit by ultra-violet. Underground lakes. Stalactites in all kinds of eccentric shapes. Electric train and lift. Train access to the caves, walking tour of 1,6 km of galleries.

• Gouffre de Padirac

Take a trip in a small boat 103 metres beneath the ground along 500 metres of river to explore the underground world. Continue on foot through vast galleries including the Cavern of the Great Dome (94 metres high). Three lifts take you down to this unique and grandiose wonder of Nature.

• Grottes de Cougnac

These caves possess a forest of stalactites and stalagmites surrounding some remarkable prehistoric paintings: ibex, mammoths, large deer, sketchy human figures, various signs... The oldest figurative drawings on show to the public... One of the finest cave ceilings in France.

• Grottes des merveilles

Cave lined with a multitude of crystalline concretions and decorated with 20 000 year old pictures : hands, horses, stags, big cats...

Long-distance footpaths for the most active, short walks for an pleasnt stroll, round walks or between destinations, themed walks or just for a look at the wild flowers, for an afternoon, a whole day or a holiday, whether you're alone, a couple or a family, you're bound to find a path to suit you.

Le Bastit round walk

• This round walk takes you past castles, viewpoints and picturesque villages...
• Distance : 10 km
• Time : 3 hrs
• Waymarking : yellow
• Starting point: Lacave, route D43 Lacave to Souillac, at the entrance to the access road to the Château de Belcastel

The Laval Dolmen round walk

• An attractive walk following the GR6. On footpaths almost all the way, it takes you past the Laval dolmen and over the causses above Souillac.
• Distance : 10,5 km
• Time : 3 hrs
• Waymarking : yellow and GR6 (white and red)
• Starting point : Marjaudes viaduct (on the GR6, to the west of Souillac)
• Accessible on foot, horseback, or mountain-bike (challenging).

La Durantie round walk

• This walk goes along roads at the start, but is very pleasant. A climb through the woods, a short section across the plateau, a shady descent and tracks beside the Dordogne bring you to a pretty viewpoint over the valley and the village of Cieurac where stands a remarkable castle.
• Distance : 10 km
• Time : 2 hrs 45 mins
• Waymarking : yellow
• Starting point : Lanzac bridge
• Accessible on foot, horseback, and mountain bike (challenging).

Mayrinhac le Francal round walk

• This long walk over the causse and through the valley takes in a large number of interesting features : the Limon chasm and resurgent stream, the Saint-Sol pothole, wells, fountain and pigeon-tower plus the Sainte-Marie chapel built in a cave. The most active could make a detour to Lacave to see the village and cave under the watchful eye of the Château de Belcastel.
• Distance : 16 km
• Time : 5 hrs
• Waymarking : yellow and bridle path (orange)
• Starting point : Meyronne church
• Accessible on foot, and on mountain bike (challenging)

Pech Grand round walk

• This family walk, very steep at the beginning, but always close to the village, gives you some superb views over the Dordogne Valley.
• Distance : 3,5 km
• Time : 1 hr 30 mins
• Waymarking : yellow
• Starting point : St Sozy church
• Accessible on foot

Reyrevignes round walk

• This walk will show you the coombs and plateaux of the north of the Lot going via the pretty hamlet of Reyrevignes. The railway viaducts built in the late 19th century for the Paris-Toulouse line add a strange yet harmonious note to the landscape.
• Distance : 17 km.
• Time : 5 hrs.
• Starting point : Blagour municipal stadium
• Waymarking : yellow.
• Accessible : on foot only

Circuit du Roc des Monges

• A superb walk, challenging, but one you really shouldn't miss : all the views you get are magnificent. Blanzaguet church is interesting and so are the caves which lie alongside the path on the return leg.
• Distance : 7 km.
• Time : 2 hrs 30 mins.
• Starting point : St Sozy church.
• Waymarking : yellow
• Accessible on foot only (challenging).