Grand site Occitanie "Cordes on the sky and medieval cities"

Conquering every vantage point, on the lookout for the slightest lookout, centuries of warriors have built castles, towns and bastides, which, from the top of their promontories, dominate these magical landscapes that today are a joy to contemplate and explore. Embark on this extraordinary journey, on foot along footpaths, in a car following the quiet rhythm of steep country roads, by bike along signposted paths, and even on horseback, in a canoe or on the back of a donkey! As you stroll along, you'll discover the wonders bequeathed by ten centuries of history. Artisans, guardians of age-old traditions, grandiose landscapes, enchanting shows and an authentic welcome; an innate sense of the art of living perpetuated by generations of wine-growers, innkeepers and local producers.

Cordes sur Ciel is the first of the bastides, built at the time of the crusade against the Albigensians, the Cathar heretics, utopians in search of perfection who defied the established order at the beginning of the 12th century. A sublime village now known the world over, it will be the rallying point of your journey. Each town, perched on its own promontory, will be a stopover, a lighthouse in this sea of magnificent landscapes, a landmark in a hedonistic adventure dedicated to discovery and contemplation.

Castelnau-de-Montmiral, the ‘mountain from which you can see’, will enchant you with its narrow streets, its incomparable medieval square and its unrivalled views over the Grésigne forest and the Vère valley.

Puycelsi, a fortified village nicknamed ‘the fortress of the woods’, perched on its rocky spur, is a unique vantage point from which to admire the region's most beautiful sunsets.

The Châteaux of Bruniquel are a veritable open book on history. From the top of their 90-metre cliff, they offer, like Penne and its fortress nestling like an eagle's nest atop an improbable cliff, an incomparable vantage point from which to contemplate the Aveyron gorges.

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