Day 1: Conques, in two visits

Conques is best seen in two visits rather than one. In the morning, before 10 am, the village is still quiet: park at La Salesse and walk up to the Sainte-Foy abbey church. Stop on the little square facing the Last Judgement tympanum, then go inside and look up at the capitals and Pierre Soulages' windows. If you have time, add the Treasure and the 45-minute guided tour. Everything you need to know before you go is in our Conques visitor guide.

In the afternoon, when the coach groups arrive, head back. From June to September, the cottage pool is waiting for you, facing the valley. Otherwise, the Saint-Cyprien-sur-Dourdou pool is on the way, 10 minutes from the cottage.

Late in the day, go back to Conques. The day visitors have left, the low light turns the stone-slab roofs golden, and the Bancarel viewpoint gives the finest view of the village. From spring to around mid-October, the Nocturnes light up the tympanum in its original colours and open the abbey church galleries. For us, it is the best moment of the whole stay.

Arriving at the cottage in the afternoon (from 2 pm)? Simply swap things round: Conques on the evening you arrive, then the following morning.

Day 2: the Marcillac valley, vines and viewpoints

A change of scenery 10 minutes from the cottage: the red sandstone of the Rougier and the terraced vineyards of Marcillac-Vallon. If your stay includes a Sunday, start with the morning market on the Tour de Ville: farçous, cheeses, honey and a glass of Marcillac on the spot. On other days, step into a wine cellar: the winegrowers are happy to explain their work on these slopes and their grape, the Mansois. An obvious but useful tip: one of you tastes, the other drives.

In the late afternoon, pick just one walk and take your time:

  • the climb to the Saint-Jean-le-Froid chapel, starting from Mouret, 5 minutes from the cottage: a 566 m peak with a 360° view over the valley, superb at sunset;
  • or, if you stayed in Marcillac, the Notre-Dame de Foncourrieu chapel, less than a kilometre's walk from the centre (open inside on Sunday afternoons in summer).

In the evening, dinner on the cottage terrace. The sky, free of light pollution, does the rest.

Day 3: one big outing, your choice

For the third day, we suggest four directions. They are 25 to 40 minutes from the cottage, and each deserves its own day, or at least half a day: choose just one.

  • The Bozouls canyon (30 min): a 400 m wide horseshoe gorge carved by the Dourdou, the same river that runs through our valley. A good hour for the short loop, half a day for the full trail (about 6 km).
  • Belcastel (35 min): one of the Most Beautiful Villages of France, with its castle raised from its ruins by Fernand Pouillon and its Gothic bridge over the Aveyron. Park at the village entrance; the lanes are pedestrian only.
  • The Lot valley (25 min): in summer, the canoe trip from Vieillevie to Grand-Vabre, about ten easy kilometres (book ahead in high season). The rest of the year, the walk to La Vinzelle, about two hours there and back from Grand-Vabre, to a hamlet perched above the Lot.
  • On a rainy day: Rodez and the Musée Soulages (40 min): allow an hour and a half for the museum. It follows on naturally from the Conques windows, and the pink sandstone cathedral is just next door.

Season by season

In summer, the minimum stay at the cottage is 3 nights, which works out well: that is exactly the length of this plan. Keep the hottest afternoons for the pool, and the visits for mornings and evenings. In spring and autumn, the Conques Nocturnes run until around mid-October, and on the Whitsun weekend the Saint-Bourrou festival livens up Marcillac. In winter, Conques has a calm you would never see in August. The cottage is heated and open all year round, with a 2-night minimum.

For two: our little extras

The cottage is a self-contained house for two, and this plan was designed at that pace. Our favourite moments are often very simple: coffee on the terrace facing the valley before setting off for Conques, the tympanum lit up on a Nocturnes evening, a glass of Marcillac back at the cottage, and the stars from the garden. To compare the different ways of staying in the area, see our page on where to stay near Conques.