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Souillac
Location: 18km west of Martel.
In the middle ages Souillac was important for its ports on the Dordogne where goods were landed and traded. These goods included salt and other foodstuffs from the coast as well as wood from upstream in Auvergne. From the 16th century Souillac was also an important river crossing for the 'chemin royal', the primary road between Limoges and Toulouse (which until the 15th century had crossed the river at Creysse). This route crossed the river by means of a 'bac' (or ferry) where the road bridge, the pont de Larzac, now carries the N20. After the construction of the bridge in 1822, the cafes, restaurants, hotels and shops of Souillac developed away from the old centre and established themselves around what was then the major north-south road route from Paris to Toulouse. More recently the town became famous for its summer traffic jams until in 2004 the new A20 autoroute bypassed Souillac and left it free to breathe again. As a result the old centre, including the market place, is recovering and visitors can easily find a place to park and a selection of restaurants, cafes and shops plus an open-air market. The market is held every monday, wednesday and friday joined by a bigger fair every 1st and 3rd friday of the month. The major architectural treasure of Souillac is the Abbatiale of Ste Marie, an imposing romanesque building. Souillac is the home of Souillac holds an excellent
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Atrium
L’Érable