Discover Thémines: GR6, Ouysse and heritage

Thémines offers several distinct points of interest to consider when planning a trip: the GR6, the Pertes de Thémines, and its architectural and archaeological heritage. You can explore the area through a long-distance hiking route, its river landscape and its historical landmarks.

Hiking: the GR6 and local trails

The GR6 is an alternative route on the Via Podiensis section of the Way of St James, and passes through Thémines. Heading west, the route goes through L’Hôpital d’Issendolus, Gramat and the Canyon de l’Alzou to Rocamadour, 23 kilometres away. Heading east, it runs through Rueyres, Rudelle, Lacapelle-Marival, Saint-Bressou and Cardaillac to Figeac, which is 34 kilometres away. The two directions differ in their destination, intermediate stops and stated distances: Rocamadour is the reference point to the west, and Figeac to the east. If you include the route in your travel plans, you can start by choosing your preferred destination and direction. Check the route and current conditions for a specific stage; distance figures alone do not indicate walking time.

The municipality also offers several walks around Thémines and its surroundings. It provides maps, distance information and descriptions in French and English. These materials help you find your way on local walks, while the GR6 places Thémines on a longer-distance route. This lets you distinguish between trails in the surrounding area and a regional route when planning your trip.

The Ouysse and the landscape

The Ouysse disappears at the Pertes de Thémines and resurfaces 20 kilometres away near Rocamadour. Because of their exceptional geomorphological character, the Pertes are included in the French register of classified sites. Thémines also 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 geological boundary and the Pertes offer two different perspectives on the landscape: the transition between limestone and clay-rich ground, and the Ouysse’s course, which is hidden for part of its journey.

Culture and archaeology in Thémines

The Ancienne halle is a small, square 17th-century market hall. It has four corner pillars and eight monolithic intermediate pillars. Here, “monolithic” refers to a construction made from a single stone. The hall has been classified as a Monument historique since 28 February 1951. Numerous dolmens of the Causse can also be seen in Thémines and form another part of the local cultural landscape.

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 before present. The decorated gallery contains 495 rock art motifs, including 140 engraved animal depictions. Most of the motifs are in a crevice at the end of the gallery. To protect the site, the cave is not open to the general public.

Another cave is located at Carrière Ferrade in Thémines: the Grotte des Escabasses ou de la Vipère.

Discover more destinations

Discover more destinations: Milhac, Belmont-Bretenoux, Cardaillac, Bagnac, Vaylats, Saint-Pierre-Lafeuille, Bio, Anglars-Juillac.

For the main travel overview: Lot.