Blog : Tourism news from our region

AMAZING!

The Moulin du Boisset is now surrounded by not 6 but 9 villages recognised as being among the "Most Beautiful Villages in France". At the start of the 2022 summer, 3 more villages have been awarded this superb distinction. Rocamadour (Lot), Martel (Lot) and Beaulieu sur Dordogne (Corrèze) join Carennac (Lot), Autoire (Lot), Loubressac (Lot), Collonges-la-Rouge (Corrèze), Curemonte (Corrèze) and Turenne (Corrèze).

Among the many walks available in the more or less immediate vicinity of the Moulin du Boisset, there is one that we are particularly fond of: the Moulin du Saut. You can tackle this hike by taking several routes, depending on your level and sporting ability. These range from a simple loop of around 5km starting from the car park near Gramat, to a round trip (14km) starting from the foot of the medieval town of Rocamadour, or a combination of the two for the bravest (around 18km).

During your (future) stay at the Moulin du Boisset, we'll certainly tell you all about our mill, but we're also sure to encourage you to discover others that have a very special appeal.

One of them, the fortified Moulin de Cougnaguet, near Rocamadour and nestling in a green setting in the heart of the Ouysse valley, is a must-see.

Recently, on a beautiful sunny day when we weren't having guests (it happens sometimes), we went to discover one of the many archaeological sites close to Le Moulin: the Archéosite des Fieux.

The Archéosite des Fieux is first and foremost an open-air cave located in the north of the Causses du Quercy, near Gramat. This site was an important hunting ground and then a temporary habitat, from Neanderthal man to modern man (known as Cro-Magnon). The traces and remains are spread over different excavation sites, each telling the story of a different area of human occupation. The decorated cave, with its engravings and paintings, was classified as a Historic Monument on 17 January 1967, and is contemporary with other examples of cave art in the Quercy region, such as Pech Merle and Cougnac, with perhaps an earlier phase that is exceptional for the region.

Did you know that 300 metres from the Moulin du Boisset, just across the road, on a cliff covered in dense vegetation these days, is the site of Uxellodunum, where so much of our history took place? Uxellodunum! What's all this about?

Uxellodunum is the name of the stronghold where Gallic troops fought the last battle for the independence of Gaul.

Let's take a step back in time to 51 BC. The surrender of Alesia a year earlier and the capture of its legendary leader Vercingetorix had led to the submission of almost all the peoples of Gaul. But Gaul was not yet powerless. The vanquished quickly got their act together and decided to attack the Romans in small groups at several points at a time.

Did you know that just 15 minutes' drive from the Moulin du Boisset is the famous village of Collonges-la-Rouge, built entirely with red stone?

These red stones, from quarries that no longer exist, whose colour comes from the iron oxide they contain, are also present at the Moulin. The outside paving is made of them. You can also see them in places on the facade and in larger quantities on the walls of the Chambre Royale. But let's get back to Collonges-la-Rouge.