Walking from Martel to Rocamadour, France
The walk from Martel to Rocamadour weaves through 130 kilometres (81 miles) of French countryside and picturesque villages and towns.
From Martel in the Midi-Pyrénées, your journey takes you north into the Limousin region and circles around through Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne before heading south once more into the Midi-Pyrénées and your destination of Rocamadour.
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Pink roses against the red brick houses of Collonges-la-Rouge
Visit six of the most beautiful villages in France
There are more than 30,000 small villages in France but only 154 of them can claim to be among the ‘most beautiful’.
To qualify, a village must enjoy a rural setting, at least two historical monuments which it commits to protecting and preserving and have a population of less than 2,000.
This corner of France has more than its fair share of most beautiful villages and on the walk from Martel to Rocamadour, you’ll visit—
Turenne—a charming maze of narrow lanes, all leading uphill to the ruins of a tenth-century château
Collonges-la-Rouge—with its distinctive red-brick cottages and fairy-tale turrets, this picturesque village is the highlight of the walk (I think 😊)
Curemonte—home to three medieval châteaux and a source of inspiration for the French novelist Collette
Autoire—a relatively modern village, rebuilt in the sixteenth century following the devastation of the Hundred Years War
Loubressac—perched high on a hill and offering magnificent views over the surrounding countryside
Carennac—founded in the eleventh century by Cluny monks who built the magnificent church and adjoining cloister.
Pigeon house in Autoire
Stock up on trail mix at the local markets
In addition to the visual feast that awaits you in these lovely places, you’ll discover fresh food markets at several villages where you can find regional delicacies to bolster your picnic lunches. Time your walk to visit at least one!
Martel—Wednesday and Saturday morning
Curemonte—Wednesday evening from mid-June until mid-September
Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne—Wednesday and Saturday morning, except for Saturday following the local fair which is held on the first and third Friday of each month. In July and August, a local produce market starts at 5 pm on Monday evening.
Bretenoux—Tuesday and Saturday morning
Carennac—Tuesday evening in summer
Boats reflecting on the river in Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne
Explore Château de Montal and Château de Castelnau-Bretenoux
Take a taxi from Biars-sur-Cère or Bretenoux to the sixteenth-century Château de Montal. A brochure (available in many languages) will guide you through the beautifully decorated rooms which provide a fascinating insight into the daily life of the nobility.
Approaching Château de Castelnau-Bretenoux
As you leave Bretenoux and continue on your walk, you’ll reach Château de Castelnau-Bretenoux, a thirteenth-century fortress where ruling barons kept an eye out for invading armies. Climb the artillery tower for stunning views of the countryside.
Go deep underground at Gouffre de Padirac
From Loubressac, a variante of the GR 652 walking path offers a shortcut to the next village of Carennac. You could follow it and enjoy a restful day but I recommend taking the longer route which passes by Gouffre de Padirac—a series of underground lakes and caves 103 metres below the surface.
From Easter until October, a guided tour takes you by boat along an underground river before you disembark and continue on foot past majestic stalagmites and stalactites.
Rocamadour, France
Finish your walk in Rocamadour
Seven days of easy walking from Martel brings you to Rocamadour—an ancient village clinging precariously to the side of cliff.
It is said that Zaccheus (also known as Armadour and a servant of Mary, mother of Jesus) came to live here in the caves as a hermit, bringing with him a black, wooden statue of the Madonna. The statue is displayed in the Chapelle de Notre-Dame and many famous figures—including King Henri II of England, accompanied by Sir Thomas Beckett—have come to pay their respects over the last nine hundred years.
Approaching Collonges-la-Rouges along the GR480 walking path
GR paths and IGN maps
The walk from Martel to Rocamadour follows a number of connecting Grand Randonnée paths—the GR 46, GR 480 and GR 652. There is no TopoGuide unfortunately which summarises this walk into a single book but a few easy-to-follow IGN maps will keep you on the track. You’ll need—
Martel to Turenne—follow the GR 46, IGN map 2136 ET
Turenne to Collonges-la-Rouges—follow GR 46 and GR 480, IGN map 2135 O
Collonges-la-Rouge to Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne—follow GR 480, IGN map 2135 E
Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne to Bretenoux—follow GR 480, IGN map 2236 O
Bretenoux to Carennac—follow GR 652, IGN map 2236 O
Carennac to Rocamadour—follow GR 652, IGN maps 2236 O and 2136 ET
If you prefer online maps, you can use the GPS built into your phone to track your location on the IGN map using Géoportal which also shows GR paths clearly marked in purple.
Suggested itinerary for walking from Martel to Rocamadour
The walk from Martel to Rocamadour is one that is best taken slowly; an experience to be savoured and enjoyed. Each day brings new delights—your biggest challenge will be deciding whether to linger where you are or move on to discover the next village.
It is certainly possible to complete the walk in fewer than the recommended eight days, but this schedule is based around my ‘enjoy breakfast, walk ten kilometres, have a nice lunch, walk another ten kilometres and linger over dinner’ philosophy.
My suggested itinerary leaves plenty of time to lean against the stone walls of an ancient chapel and ponder the hands that built them a thousand years earlier; to look out through the observation slits in a medieval tower and imagine invading armies charging up the hill…
Cloister adjoining the church in Carennac
Day 1 Martel to Turenne (16.7 km/10.4 mi).
Day 2 Turenne to Collonges-la-Rouge (6 km/3.8 mi).
Day 3 Collonges-la-Rouge to Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne (27 km/16.9 mi).
Day 4 Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne to Bretenoux (18 km/11.3 mi).
Day 5 Bretenoux to Loubressac (15.9 km/9.9 mi).
Day 6 Loubressac to Carennac (16 km/10 mi).
Day 7 Carennac to Rocamadour (26.6 km/16.6 mi).
Day 8 Rocamadour. Take a well-earned rest and explore Rocamadour.
Accommodation from Martel to Rocamadour
Villages along the long-distance walking path from Martel to Rocamadour offer accommodation at intervals to suit most walkers.
The longest section, from Carennac, requires a walk of 25.6 kilometres (16 miles) to l’Hôpital or 26.6 kilometres (16.6 miles) if you continue on to Rocamadour.
My suggested itinerary recommends a mix of long and short days to allow plenty of time for exploring Château de Castelnau-Bretenoux and for lingering in the six most beautiful villages this walk visits.
Hotel La Farga in Carennac, GR652 between Martel and Rocamadour
But there is an itinerary to suit every time frame and dodgy knee. Accommodation is available in the following villages, with distances given from the starting point of Martel.
(Click on the link for a comprehensive list of accommodation—updated in 2018)
16.7 km (10.4 mi) Turenne
22.7 km (14.2 mi) Collonges-la-Rouge
37.7 km (23.6 mi) Curemonte
49.7 km (31.1 mi) Beaulieu-sur-Dordogne
71.7 km (44.8 mi) Bretenoux
82.2 km (51.4 mi) Autoire
87.6 km (54.8 mi) Loubressac
103.6 km (64.8 mi) Carennac
129.2 km (80.8 mi) l’Hôpital
130.2 km (81.4 mi) Rocamadour
How to book accommodation in French
Where is it in France?
Map of the path from Martel to Rocamadour
Ready to go?
Download the 2019 (PDF) edition of the I Love Walking in France guidebook—Martel to Rocamadour
77 pages packed with dozens of photos, taxi phone numbers, links to accommodation websites and train and bus schedules, Tourist Offices, market days, where to find a pharmacy or an ATM, useful French phrases—and many more practical tips!
Melinda,
Thank you for the excellent guide, and for your helpful suggestions.
My husband and I are planning to do this walk this coming September. We aren’t
Sure how far we want to walk each day, so prefer to make reservations for accommodation as we go. Do you think we will have any problems finding good places to stay that way?
We won’t be in any hurry…
Also, we’ll have to arrange our luggage transfer day by day
Hi Terra,
The worst of the tourist season will have passed by September so I think you will be safe. The flexible you are in accommodation type (hotel, chambre d’hôte) you are, the more options you’ll have. Once you get a feel for how far you prefer to walk each day, choose a target for that day’s walk and ask your host to phone ahead and book you a room for that night. This way there will be no disappointments when you arrive in the village.
Good luck and thank you for those kind words 🙂
Bon chemin
Melinda
Another question:
What is the best way to get from Paris to Martel?
Terra
Hi Terra,
Check the Rome2Rio website for train schedules from Paris to Saint-Denis-près-Martel. From there, you can catch a bus or take a taxi to Martel.
Melinda
Hi Melinda,
I’m thinking of taking this walk with my daughter in May. Just a few questions:
To shorten the walk slightly I thought we’d walk Day and 2 on one day – is this doable?
We’ll be arriving and leaving by Flixbus from Brive La Gaillard. Is there a taxi that can take us to and from the start/ finish of the walk?
Thanks
Hi Robyn,
Day 1 and 2 combined is only 22.7 kilometres so absolutely doable in one day. My only suggestion would be don’t rush through Turenne and Collonges-la-Rouges, take some time to explore and enjoy the villages – they really are the highlights of the walk.
I’ll email you some screen shots showing where the walk starts in relation to the Tourist Office in Martel.
Enjoy the walk!
Melinda
Thanks Melinda,
I’ve booked accommodation and planned the route for my 21 year old daughter and I to walk Turenne to Rocamadour for the beginning of May. The weather looks OK – well no rain and a mild 20 degrees during the day.
I substituted the Beaulieu to Bretenaoux walk with a 2 hour kayak to give us more time at the Wed market at Beaulieu and to give our feet a rest (I couldn’t find accommodation between Collanges and Beaulieu so a 27 km hike the day before).
Will let you know how it all goes.
Thanks you for the inspiration.
Robyn
Hi Robyn,
I love the idea of kayaking from Beaulieu to Bretenoux and it will give your feet some recovery time after the long day into Beaulieu. Good thinking!
Melinda
Hi, I was wondering if this walk has become very popular? I want to go walking in France but i don’t want to be with 100’s of other people. I don’t mind a few of course but like the idea of it not being too busy.
Hi Trish, this walk is less busy than most, probably because it does not follow a dedicated GR path around the loop – it starts on the GR 46, switches to the GR 480, then the GR 652 and GR 46 again. During the summer months, you’ll find the villages quite crowded as this is one of the most beautiful and most popular parts of France! Enjoy! Melinda
Dear Melinda – thanks for your absorbing site. I’m planning to walk the Dordogne in late September 2016 with a couple of friends. We have everything organised except luggage transfer – we’re too old to carry fullpacks these days. Have you heard or know anyone in the Dordogne who has such a service?
Before that walk I’m planning to walk the GR34 in early September, doing day walks either out of Nante or St Malo. Have you any suggestions? If so I’d really appreciate them.
With thanks,
Barbara
Hi Barbara,
I’m with you – I prefer to have my luggage transferred. I’m not aware of anyone who does it in the Dordogne region but since there a a few of you to share the cost, I would call a taxi each morning and ask them to take your bags on to the next hotel. I have done this in Burgundy, the hotel made the call for us and the taxi gave us a quote, usually 40 – 45 euros. We then left the money and the bags at the hotel and started our day’s walk. Everything went smoothly. Shared among four of us, the cost was reasonable.
I haven’t done that part of the GR34 but I’d be tempted to look at the section between Saint-Malo and Mont-Saint-Michel. It would too far for a single day but you would probably get to the end of the peninsula and should have beautiful views across to Mont-Saint-Michel. Saint-Malo does look a beautiful town.
Have a wonderful time!
Melinda
Many thanks Melinda – I think your suggestion of taxis for luggage transfer will be the way to go. Yes, St Malo does look interesting doesn’t it.
Bon walking!
Barbara
You’re most welcome Barbara 🙂 Enjoy!
Melinda, I love your suggestion of picking up picnic fare at the village markets. In average, about how many kilometers do you walk each day?
Hi Tricia,
I normally walk between 20 – 25 kilometres each day with a few shorter days or even a rest day thrown in. Next week I will be walking along the GR65 Chemin de Saint-Jacques from Le-Puy-en-Velay to Aumont-Aubrac and from Aire-sur-l’Adour to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port and my days are all between 14 and 23 kilometres.
Eiropean markets are such a good source of fresh breads, cheeses, figs and fresh fruits and often a bottle of wine – they make for a wonderful picnic!
I’d love to do this walk! Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Nancy. This one passes through some stunning countryside and beautiful villages.