A name that comes from wine, a story of a vanished castle
The name La Vinzelle is said to come from the Latin vinum and cella, in other words "wine cellar": a clue that vines were already grown on these steep slopes a very long time ago. The hamlet, now part of the commune of Grand-Vabre, once stood on a pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela and even had a castle, which disappeared in the 16th century during the Wars of Religion. We like telling our guests this story on the way: almost nothing remains of the castle today, but the village has kept its authentic character against all odds.
In winter, only about a dozen people keep the hamlet alive all year round. It is thanks to them, and to the Amis de La Vinzelle association, that the village has kept its charm rather than becoming an empty shell like so many other isolated hamlets in the area. Less well known than nearby Conques, La Vinzelle still attracts many walkers every year, without ever losing the sense of tranquillity you no longer find at the busiest sites.
The climb from Grand-Vabre
From Grand-Vabre, allow about two hours there and back, with no major difficulty, to reach the perched hamlet and come back down. Once at the top, the path offers an open view of the Lot below and the hills around it. It is the kind of walk we recommend in the late afternoon, when the low light falls across the valley and the heat eases a little. You meet day walkers as well as local regulars, who do the loop along the village paths.
Our advice: take time to stop up there
Many walkers climb up, take a photo of the view and head straight back down without lingering. We would much rather you stopped for a while in the lanes of the hamlet, walked on to the church and simply sat facing the valley before starting the descent. It is a short hike, but one that deserves room to breathe rather than being combined with another activity the same afternoon.