Valley of the Dourdou

Conques sits in a steep, wooded fold of the Dourdou valley, in the Aveyron, and the setting is as much a part of its appeal as the buildings. The Dourdou is a small river that flows through a narrow gorge here, and the village climbs the hillside above it in terraces of stone houses with grey slate-like roofs. Approaching from below, the roofs and the great church seem to grow out of the rock, and it is easy to see why the place has long been a refuge, a pilgrimage stop and a subject for painters and photographers.

The centre of Conques is the abbey church of Sainte-Foy, a masterpiece of Romanesque architecture built mainly in the eleventh and twelfth centuries. Its history is unusual. Sainte Foy, a young martyr, was originally venerated in Agen, and according to the medieval tradition the monks of Conques secretly took her relics there in the ninth century, an act known as a holy theft. The relics made the abbey rich, because pilgrims on the way to Santiago de Compostela, following the Via Podiensis, stopped here in large numbers to honour the saint. The church was built to receive them, with wide aisles and a gallery that allowed crowds to circulate.

The west front carries a remarkable carved tympanum of the Last Judgment, with well over a hundred figures arranged in tiers: Christ in majesty at the top, the blessed on one side, and the damned tormented by devils on the other. Traces of colour still survive on the stone. Inside, the nave rises in tall, calm lines, and the windows were made in the late twentieth century by the painter Pierre Soulages, with pale, translucent glass that fills the church with a soft light, in strong contrast to the rich carving. The abbey's treasury, one of the finest in France, holds medieval goldsmiths' work, including the golden reliquary statue of Sainte Foy, a rare survival from the early Middle Ages.

The village streets have half-timbered houses and steep lanes, and the stone bridge over the Dourdou, an ancient crossing used by pilgrims, gives a classic view of the hillside. Conques is one of the Plus Beaux Villages de France, and the abbey church is a UNESCO World Heritage site as part of the Routes of Santiago de Compostela. Walks along the valley and up the slopes give views down on the roofs and the river, and a peaceful atmosphere in the evening, after the day visitors leave.

The village suits pilgrims, walkers and anyone interested in medieval art. The streets are steep, so wear good shoes, and check the opening times of the church, treasury and tourist office before you go.