Thémines brings together hiking trails, a striking karst landscape and several examples of cultural heritage. The GR6 crosses the commune; at the Pertes de Thémines, the Ouysse disappears, while the market hall, dolmens and cave art offer further historical and scenic perspectives. When choosing accommodation for your trip, you can plan around hiking, geology or culture and decide which themes you would like to spend time exploring.
Hiking trails and two directions on the GR6
The GR6, a variant of the Way of St James along the Via Podiensis, crosses Thémines. To the west, the route passes through L’Hôpital d’Issendolus, Gramat and the Alzou Canyon on its way to Rocamadour, 23 kilometres away. To the east, it runs through Rueyres, Rudelle, Lacapelle-Marival, Saint-Bressou and Cardaillac on its way to Figeac, 34 kilometres away. The two directions offer different places to stop and destinations to use as reference points when planning your trip.
The commune also offers several hikes around Thémines and its surroundings. It provides maps, distances and descriptions in French and English. You can use this information to compare the hikes by route and distance. Before setting out on a specific hike, check the current trail conditions and distances.
Karst landscape and river course
Thémines lies on a geological boundary between the limestone Causse and the clay-rich Limargue, on the eastern edge of the Parc naturel régional des Causses du Quercy. The Pertes de Thémines are a distinctive feature of the landscape: this is where the Ouysse disappears, resurfacing 20 kilometres away near Rocamadour. Because of their exceptional geomorphological character, the Pertes are included in the French register of classified sites. The geological boundary places Thémines between the Causse and Limargue; the river course adds another dimension to the landscape, from the Pertes to the Ouysse’s resurgence.
Market hall, dolmens and cave art
The Ancienne halle is a small square market hall dating from the 17th century. It has four corner pillars and eight monolithic intermediate pillars, each made from a single stone. It has been classified as a Monument historique since 28 February 1951. Numerous dolmens of the Causse can also be seen in Thémines.
The Grotte de Roucadour is one of the oldest decorated caves in the Quercy. Its rock art is attributed to the Gravettian culture, dating from between 33,500 and 27,000 years ago. The decorated gallery contains 495 motifs, including 140 engraved animal representations; most of the motifs are in a crevice at the end of the gallery. The market hall and the cave represent different forms of cultural heritage: a building with a clearly structured arrangement of pillars and a cave containing extensive rock art. To protect it, the Grotte is not open to the general public.
Discover more destinations: Peyrilles, Vaylats, Esclauzels, Le Bourg, Thédirac, Sainte-Alauzie, Miers, Calvignac.
For the overview of the wider area: Lot.
