Fodor's Expert Review Hôtel de Ville

The town is split into four levels joined by steep steps. The lowest level is occupied by the village of Rocamadour itself, and mainly accessed through the centuries-old Porte du Figuier (Fig Tree Gate). Past this portal, the Cité Médiévale, also known as the Basse Ville, though in parts grotesquely touristy, is full of beautifully restored structures, such as the 15th-century Hôtel de Ville, near the Porte Salmon, which houses the tourist office and an excellent collection of tapestries. If you enter from the top of the town, the Château and vertiginous Ramparts (€2, coins only) offer tremendous views well loved by bird-watchers for the many birds of prey that circle the cliffs. The picturesque ruins of 14th-century Hospitalet St. Jean, with vestiges dating as far back as the 11th century, also offer wonderful views.