Gazing down the lush Alzou river valley at the vertically-oriented village of Rocamadour, you won"t be surprised some regard the medieval French town as a holy site: Its beauty alone is mystical. The gorges of southwestern France are home to numerous striking historic hamlets built along and atop their steep edges. But Rocamadour is special as a stop for thousands of pilgrims on the Way of Saint James, a UNESCO-recognized traditional route through France and Spain that still draws journeyers both pious and secular. The town"s cliff-top sanctuary and the black-painted Madonna statue within have been purported to have healing powers. If you"re drawn to more earthly sources of good health, though, Rocamadour also lends its name to a delicious, locally crafted goat cheese.
A city, a cliff, a canyon…and cheese
More Desktop Wallpapers:
-
Góða ólavsøku, from the Faroes!
-
Aw shucks, It s Oyster Day
-
For Hispanic Heritage Month: Out of Many, One
-
You ve never seen anything like this
-
Getting to the bottom of the underwater waterfall
-
A bison preserve
-
Salmon return to the Copper River
-
It s harvest time on World Food Day
-
Happy trees = Clean air
-
A day of death and rebirth
-
May the Fourth be with you…
-
Welcome to California
-
Four Sisters, thousands of trees
-
An unlikely friendship in the wild
-
Hello, harbinger of spring
-
Friendship Day in the City of Brotherly Love
-
Montreux, Switzerland, and all that jazz
-
A cliff-hanging complex of temples
-
High trekking season in Upper Mustang
-
Seven Magic Mountains art installation, Jean Dry Lake, Nevada