Souillac
Souillac is on the north-western edge of the Lot department, just across from the Dordogne department and in the Dordogne River valley.
Although many people zoom past Souillac on their way to the Dordogne further west, as a minimum you should stop and see the major feature of interest in the town:
This highlight of a visit to Souillac is the Abbatiale-Sainte-Marie - the 12th century abbey church and a fine example of Roman style architecture.
Starting from the 10th century there was a monastery here, and by the 12th century it had become an important local centre and the impressive church was constructed. Much of the church was destroyed during the 16th century - firstly during the Wars of Religion, and later by a fire, but the part that remains is still very impressive.
Apart from the balanced design of the building there are also some impressive carvings, above all around the entrance door and the statue of Isaiah, which is one of the great carvings of the Middle Ages. Other carvings represent the story of the monk Theophilus. (It is likely these carvings were produced by the same sculptors as the impressive doorway to the Abbey of Saint Peter in Moissac.)
Souillac grew around the church, and is now a sizeable town. Although rather concealed by more recent developments, there are several interesting buildings from the earlier period of the town to be discovered as you explore.
You (or rather, your children) might like to visit the Museum of Automatons in Souillac, which features automated toys produced between 1860 and 1960, carefully maintained and in working order, and attractively presented.
Although not a great town in its own right, Souillac is very well placed to explore many places of interest in the region, with Domme and the Dordogne to the west, Cahors and the Lot Valley to the south, the cluster of beautiful villages around Collonges-la-Rouge to the north-east, and Rocamadour to the south-east.
Visit Souillac (Midi-Pyrenees, Lot) travel, gites and hotels
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The Souillac hotels listed feature descriptions, guest reviews, ratings, location maps, online booking etc. as well as the 'best-price' guarantee. The search for hotels in Souillac is provided by booking.com. General holiday / vacation options- See Midi-Pyrenees gites for Souillac holiday rentals - Holiday villages in Midi-Pyrenees Holidays nearbyLooking for something close by? See a wide choice of hotels, holiday villages and holiday rentals at: VisitSee Visit Souillac for places to visit near Souillac including: a detailed map, villages in bloom and most beautiful villages DiscussAsk questions or leave a comment about Souillac in our Midi-Pyrenees forum Bergerac airport at 106 km Limoges airport at 111 km Rodez airport at 123 km Souillac property for saleSee Midi-Pyrenees property for sale
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Tourist Classifications for Souillac
- approved Station Verte - resort paying particular attention to its natural environment
Places to visit near Souillac, France
Explore places of interest within about 70 kilometres on a map at places near Souillac.
Some places to visit within 30 km: 
22 km: Chateau de Montfort (castle) 26 km: Collonges-la-Rouge (Most beautiful village) 14 km: Gourdon (Lot) (Recommended stopover town) 30 km: Gramat (Town near Rocamadour) 15 km: Martel (attractive small town) 19 km: Rocamadour (Pilgrimage village) 31 km: Saint-Amand-de-Coly (Most beautiful village) 32 km: Terrasson (Gardens of the Imagination) 20 km: Turenne (Most beautiful village)
See also Souillac (version Francais)
