What to see in Conques ?

Conques clings to an Aveyron valley with intact medieval logic: ochre grit-stone houses follow the slope, alleyways converge on the abbey church of Sainte-Foy as if the village had ever had another centre of gravity. It's not a reconstructed set piece - it's a town that simply survived, largely because isolation protected it from the great transformations of the 19th century.

Spring and autumn offer raking light that reveals the Roman tympanum's details, a masterpiece of medieval sculpture best savoured unhurriedly. Budget a full day, two if you walk a section of the GR65 trail crossing the village. Come by car - public transport barely exists in this area. Don't limit your visit to the abbey's treasury: the village architecture itself merits as much attention as the reliquaries.