Ermitage de Bon-Encontre and the Garonne Escarpment
Perched on a limestone bluff three kilometres east of Agen's centre, the pilgrimage chapel of Notre-Dame de Bon-Encontre and the wooded escarpment above it offer the kind of panoramic Garonne valley view that most visitors never find. On a clear day you can see the Pyrenees shimmering on the southern horizon.
The chapel and its history
The current chapel dates from the 15th century, built on a site of Marian veneration that pilgrims on the route to Santiago de Compostela used as a resting point. Inside, the vaulted nave is small and cool, hung with ex-votos — the painted wooden tablets left by the faithful as thanks for answered prayers — that create an unexpectedly moving folk-art gallery.
A pardon (traditional pilgrimage procession) still takes place here on the Monday of Pentecost each year, drawing locals from across the département in a tradition that has continued for over five centuries. Outside this date the chapel is quiet and almost always empty, which only adds to its atmosphere.
The escarpment walk and the view
From the chapel, a waymarked footpath climbs through oak and pine scrub to the top of the escarpment in about 20 minutes. The reward is a broad, unobstructed view south across the Garonne floodplain — a patchwork of orchards, sunflower fields and the silver ribbon of the river — with the Pyrenean peaks visible on clear winter and spring mornings.
The path continues as part of the GR 652 long-distance route and can be extended into a pleasant 8-kilometre loop through the villages of Bon-Encontre and Brax, passing working plum orchards where you can sometimes buy directly from the farmer during the August harvest. Wear proper walking shoes as the limestone paths can be slippery after rain.
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