Activities

Location and local information:

The chateau is very well located and convenient to reach.

*Rodez-Marcillac airport: 16 km

(direct flights to Paris, Brussels and Dublin from April to October)

*Rodez railway and bus stations: 5 km

*Rodez main hospital: 8 km

*Rodez inner town, museums and cinema, etc.: 6 km

*Supermarkets and shopping area: 4 km

*Rodez golf course: 7 km

*Bus stop, hotel-restaurant and car lease: nearby

Activities available within a short distance or in Aveyron department:

*Sports: Tennis, horse-riding, skiing, all kinds of boats (river and lakes), fishing, trekking,  cycling, gliding, paragliding, climbing, karting, bowling, etc.

*Other activities: farmers‘ market, bric-a-brac trade, open-air jumble sale, cooked local food, handicraft (pottery, painting, sculpture, etc.), cinema, shows, etc.

*and last but not least: local gastronomy, of course! Restaurants offer a lot of different tastes.

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Touristic points of interest:

UNESCO Sites:

Conques

This village is situated in a very well preserved environment, on the Path of Saint James, and the authenticity of the village buildings are well protected. This village is internationally known for its Roman architecture (Abbey church and last judgment tympanum), Middle-Ages goldsmith work Sainte Foy treasure and numerous reliquaries covered with gold, silver, cameos and inserts) and contemporary works (Pierre Soulages’ stained glasses).

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Le village de Conques

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Les causses du Larzac

Les Causses et les Cévennes

In 2011, the Causses and Cevennes were inscribed on the list of UNESCO World Heritage for their cultural landscape, which is alive and evolving, and represents the Mediterranean agro-pastoralism.

*The path of Saint James (GR 65)

You experience the great adventure of the pilgrims walking to Santiago de Campostella and discover the magic part of the ‘Via Podensis’, which goes through the Aveyron Department.

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Le Chemin de Saint Jacques de Compostelle (GR65)

Other important sites

 

Rodez

Capital of the Aveyron Department: it is the ideal place to start the discovery of Aveyron. You will enjoy wandering on its pedlar streets to discover its rich history.

The Cathedral with the highest flat bell tower in France at 87 meters. From there Rodez and its beautiful surroundings can be admired.

The museums : Soulages museum named after the painter, born in Rodez, still very active and worldwide known; Fenailles museum with its famous menhir-statues; and Denys Puech museum exhibiting fine arts.

Millau

It is the tallest bridge in the world, designed by English architect Norman Foster and built by the French Eiffage Group.

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Le Viaduc de Millau

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Villefranche de Rouergue

Villefranche de Rouergue

The Rouergue gem is a bastide (fortified town) with its treasures and extraordinary cultural heritage: from Notre-Dame (Our Lady Church) to the Chartreuse (Charterhouse), from the town centre to Black Penitent Chapel, etc.

Aubrac area and the BRAS restaurant (Three star in the Michelin Guide) near Laguiole

Michel BRAS was awarded the title of the best chef in the world in 2015; his restaurant is located in the heights of Aubrac plateau on the Aveyron highlands. Aubrac area is a place to breathe pure fresh air, wither walking, cycling and horseriding in the summertime or skiing and racketting in the wintertime.

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Le restaurant 3 étoiles de BRAS sur l'Aubrac

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Les caves de Roquefort

Roquefort

Roquefort-sur-Soulzonis located South of the Grand Causses Regional Natural Park. This is where the King of the Cheese is affined naturally in its unique caves at constant temperature.

Marcillac

Marcillac is famous for its landscape, its terroir and its unique tasting wine.The local wine growers will show you their farming secrets and invite you warmly to taste their wine (the vine stock was introduced to Marcillac in the 12th Century by Cistercian monks).

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La vallée de Marcillac

The ten most beautiful villages in France

Aveyron is the department with greatest number of these villages :

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Le village de Belcastel

Belcastel

Standing along the Aveyron river; this village looks like a picture or a painting: the castle overlooks the village with its bridge, its church and Belcastel Lord’s grave. The French architect, Fernand Pouillon, fell in love with this site and put all his heart and soul into renovating the castle.

Brousse-le-Château

Located between Saint Affrique and Requista, the name of this tiny village is self explanatory: ‘Brousse’ means ‘bush’ in French and refers to a very messy vegetation that gave some hard days to the local peasants who were protected by the local lords who built their Chateau (castle) even before the 10th century.

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Le village de Brousse-le-château

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Un randonneur arrive à Conques

Conques

Conques : medieval village

Estaing

This small medieval city is gathered close to the city castle, which ensured its security throughout the centuries. It is located on the Camino de Santiago and has remarkable buildings: its castle, its church, its Gothic bridge and all the Middle-Ages houses.

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La ville d'Estaing

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La couvertoirade

La Couvertoirade

As soon as you get close to La Couvertoirade, you will feel transported in time and space and be impressed by its fortified walls, its narrow streets, its traditional houses with their architecture inspired by the surrounding nature, its church leaning on a rock which protects a true treasure, its castle, its bread oven, etc.

Najac

Najac architectural heritage and its natural surroundings enabled this Rouergue Bastide to be classified as one of the most beautiful villages in France; it is listed as “Art and History site” and, has been recognized recently as “The Famous site in Midi-Pyrenees” together with Villefranche de Rouergue.

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Le château de Najac

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Le petit village de Peyre

Peyre

This mountain village has outstanding characteristics: the tuff houses, ‘calades’ (narrow stone streets), and the troglodytic church. This very unusual site, sculpted into the cliff, will give you an exceptional view of the Millau Viaduct.

Saint-Côme-d’Olt

This is a medieval village with its brightbell clock, fortified doors and private hostels. You are on the track of the Path of Saint James pilgrims. This old city has not changed from centuries.

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Le petit village de Saint-Côme

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Le village de Saint-Eulalie d'Olt

Sainte-Eulalie-d’Olt

This medieval city, along the river Lot with its ancestral tradition, will charm you with its houses made of pebbles and walls adorned with flowers.

Sauveterre-de-Rouergue

The 13th century Royal Bastide (fortified town) was build around the largest arcade place in Rouergue and shows a unique architectural style, half-timbering and corbelled houses, sculpted ornamental stones, chiselleddoors, fortification remains, ditches, towers and the city doors will transport you into a different time.

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La place de Sauveterre de Rouergue

Activities available out of Aveyron department

*By car for instance:

-Toulouse 155 km (one and a half hours drive): apart from touristic attractions there is a unique opportunity to visit “Space City” and to look at the assembly of Airbus planes.

-Montpellier 165 km (two hours drive): close to the Mediterranean Sea the history of the old town explains why it has been the leading medical city in Europe.