Souillac – City of 7 Viaducts

Halfway between Rocamadour and Sarlat, in the Dordogne Valley, Souillac is a town of contrasts between river and old stones.

The emblematic Sainte Marie abbey, which owes its origins to the Benedictine monks of Saint-Pierre d’Aurillac, deserves special attention. The buildings were rebuilt in the 17th and 18th centuries, and the church in the 12th. Famous for its depiction of the prophet Isaiah, it is the only Romanesque church with a row of domes to have survived in the Haut-Quercy region, along with Cahors Cathedral.

The town is renowned for its many bridges and viaducts, including the Pont Louis Vicat, the first of its kind in artificial cement, and the 19th-century Borrèze viaduct, listed as a historic monument.

Feel like a visitvisit?

Set course for the Musée de l’Automate, the only one of its kind in Europe. It boasts a collection of 300 automata and mechanical toys from the ^19th and ^20th centuries, the only one of its kind in Europe.

You won’t leave Souillac without visiting the internationally renowned Louis Roques distillery and its museum.