Leisure cycling route: the red stones

Starting point of the route, it is at Collonges-la-Rouge that the festivities will begin for you… This fortified town will surprise you with its colors that have continuously charmed numerous visitors over time.... Two colors clearly stand out from the scenery: red and green. Green for the greenery surrounding the town and for the vegetation growing on the building walls: chestnut trees, vines… Red for the color of the houses and buildings constructed with red sandstone, extracted from the Puy de Valège, which rises to 450 m above the village.

Colors are omnipresent, but rest assured that the architecture is no less remarkable. Rightly nicknamed "the town of twenty-five towers," the village is distinguished by the many towers and turrets present on the corners of numerous bourgeois houses, as well as a few rural manors.

Formerly inhabited and sought after by the notables of the Viscounty of Turenne, the town was gradually abandoned from the 19th century. It regained its colors and former pride some years later thanks to the film industry and the establishment of the "Plus Beaux Villages de France" classification. An initiative launched by the former mayor, which subsequently brought this exceptional place a well-deserved tourist reputation. Furthermore, the enhancement of its heritage has earned the municipality, comprising 1,431 hectares, 420 ha classified as historical monuments and 189 ha registered in the supplementary inventory of historical monuments.

After a pleasant walk through the streets of the red town, it is now time to hop on your bikes to set off on the route, the next stop being just 3 km away.

Surrounded by numerous walnut groves, Saillac combines tranquility, modernity, and beauty... A village attached to its roots that is committed to preserving its heritage…. Wandering through the streets of Saillac guarantees you will observe a very well-preserved heritage, such as the many typical houses lining the town. Moreover, in the heart of the village is a restored old walnut oil mill and an old blacksmith workshop.