Autoire, a touristic village in a cirque with a waterfall

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Autoire is located east of Padirac. It is one of the "plus beaux villages de France" and is called "Petit Versailles of the Lot". Autoire stands out because of the beautiful nature in which it is located and the beautiful houses that stand in the village. Autoire has it all, the limestone landscape of the Quercy with streams and rivers such as the Dordogne and the Lot and a village with mansions with half-timbered facades made of yellow-gray natural stone. The many towers show the wealth the village had in the past. Autoire was for the most part built during the renaissance period. The nobility went to live in the large country houses such as Château de Laroque-Delprat or Limargue. The elite of Saint Céré also had a second house built here. During your holiday in France, visit this beautiful village, stroll through the narrow streets and enjoy the beautiful views. At the end of July, a large fireworks display is held in the village with the high cliffs surrounding the village serving as a backdrop. This event is known as "Embrasement des Falaises".

Visit Autoire for a day during your holiday

The picturesque village of Autoire with about 300 inhabitants is surrounded by cliffs with a height of 150m. The village is named after the river Autoire that flows through it. The half-timbered houses are the characteristic soft yellow color and have brown roofs. Add to this the narrow streets, the lively village square and the old mansions and you’ll quickly realise why Autoire has such a charming atmosphere. The Romanesque church of Saint-Pierre-et-Saint-Paul from the 11th century stands in the middle of the village. It was built by the lords of Banze, their coat of arms hangs above the entrance. The houses are arranged in a circle around the church. From the church square, a footpath (Chemin du Paradou) leads to the waterfalls. On the village square with shops and restaurants you can see the striking Fountain aux Dauphins with 4 bronze dolphins. There are seven castles or castle remnants in the village and the surrounding area. Visit the Château de Limargue, the Château de Busqueilles, and the Château de la Roque-Maynard. Above the town, on a cliff, you’ll find the remains of Château des Anglais. From here you can enjou a beautiful view of the surroundings. The castles of Montal near Saint Ceré and Castelnau near Bretenoux are also worth a visit. Next to the church is a restaurant with a good terrace and a beautiful view. You can also order Malakoff, a sweet treat named after the battle of Malakoff. The French General who won the Battle of Malakoff during the Crimean War was born in Autoire.

Points of interest Autorie

  • Surrounded by 150m tall cliffs
  • The St. Piere et St. Paul church
  • Lords of Banze
  • Fontein aux Dauphins
  • Château de Limargue
  • Château de Busqueilles
  • Château de la Roque-Maynard
  • Château des Anglais
  • Château Montal
  • Château Castelnau
  • Battle of Malakoff
  • Embrasement des Falaises
  • Waterfall
  • Beautiful views
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History of Autoire

The region in which Autoire is located was already inhabited at the beginning of our era. In later centuries, a small settlement arose where people lived together in times of peace. In times of danger and war, they retreated to the caves around the village. Exits were bricked up to make the cave an as safe as possible shelter. In the 11th century, the village and its church were the property of the bishop of Cahors. Later, the village was divided between the lord of Turenne and the Baron of Gramat. During the 100 years war in the 14th and 15th centuries, there was a lot of fighting in this region. The village’s ownership alternated between England and France. Château des Anglais was also built during this period. There was finally peace in the 17th century after which beautiful houses were built such as Château de Busqueilles. In the 19th century both sides of the village were merged together again to form the village known as  Autoire.

Cirque of Autoire

Autoire is located in a cirque. A cirque is a semicircle valley with cliffs surrounding three sides. Cirques can form in different ways. The most common way is through erosion, often by a glacier or a river. In this case, a river may have flowed here in the past and that the cirque is a former bend in the river and thus the rock walls have been worn out. A cirque mainly forms on sheltered slopes where there is little sun, so that snow and ice accumulate and rocks wear down through erosion or frost weathering.

Such valleys often have beautiful nature due to their microclimate. In Autoire, however, the cirque was created in a different way. The valley in Autoire was created due to fractures in the limestone, causing an intermediate layer to sink down. Other well-known cirques in France are the Cirque de Gavarnie, the Cirque de Navacelles and the Cirque du Fer-à-Cheval. Cirques can also be created due to two adjacent cirques eroding towards each other, creating a narrow ridge or "Arête”. If there are three or more cirques, a peak or horn is created. An example of this is the Matterhorn in the Alps.

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Waterfall of Autoire

A visit to the village of Autoire itself is fun, but visiting the waterfall makes it even better. The waterfall falls from a height of about 30m from limestone cliffs and is only 2km south of the village. The waterfall can be reached from the village in two ways, both of which are not recommended for people who have difficulty walking. The easiest way to get to the waterfall is to drive in a southerly direction first. After a kilometre you can park in a gorge on the left. The parking lot is behind a high rock. From the parking lot there is a hiking trail across the road towards the waterfall. The last part of the trail is quite steep. Once at the top, you have a beautiful view over the village and the cirque. The second way to get to the waterfall is to take the hiking trail from the village. When you reach the castle you go into the forest, you’ll then walk along the stream towards the waterfall.

Surroundings of Autoire

Autoire is located in a region with many other tourist hotspots. One of the most visited places in the region is the Gouffre de Padirac, a world-famous underground cave with a river.

Nearby is the town of Saint Cirque-Lapopie, which is also on the list of "Les Plus Beaux villages de France". Rocamadour, a characteristic village built against the rocks, lies North of Autoire. The red village of Collonges-la-Rouge, Curemonte, Loubressac, Carennac and Lacapelle Marival also lie in the area.

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