The village of Conques is very small, largely depopulated and mainly contained within the medieval walls , parts of which still survive, along with three of its gates
. The houses date mainly from the late Middle Ages. The whole ensemble
of cobbled lanes and stairways is a pleasure to stroll through. There
are two main streets, the old rue Haute , or "upper street",
which was the route for the pilgrims coming from Estaing and Le Puy and
passing onto Figeac and Cahors through the Porte de la Vinzelle ; and the lane, now rue Charlemagne , which leads steeply downhill through the Porte de Barry to the river and the ancient Pont Romain , with the little chapel of St-Roch
off to the left, whence you get a fine view of the village and church.
Better still: climb the road on the far side of the valley. The rather
grandiose-sounding European centre for medieval art and civilization
, hidden in a bunker right at the top of the hill (9am-noon &
2-6pm), sometimes has exhibitions and displays. Throughout August, the
village hosts a prestigious classical music festival , most of the concerts taking place at the abbey church; contact the tourist office for more information.
Walkers can use sections of the GR65 and GR62 , both of which pass through the village; the tourist office will provide information about shorter local walks.
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