Independent walking holidays in France
Self-guided walking tour

Via Podiensis is one of the four main pilgrimage routes to the Spanish sanctuary of Santiago de Compostela from Le Puy en Velay, a Marian sanctuary since the fifth century. Since the Middle Ages, millions of pilgrims have left from Le Puy to journey to the Spanish Galicia, at the extremity of the Iberian Peninsula, to venerate the relics of Saint James, one of Christ’s apostles. This pilgrimage is today registered on the World Heritage list of UNESCO.

- 12 days Saint James way from Le Puy en Velay to Conques
In this first French part of Saint James Way, you will explore several different regions of France : Auvergne, Margeride, Gevaudan, the Aubrac highlands, charming and scenic in the summer months, but avoided by pilgrims in the cold of winter, when it is covered by snow and fog. In bad weather, the bells of Domerie d’Aubrac (an abbey hospital) once rang all the day and night long to guide the pilgrims towards this place of refuge. You will go down the Pays d’Olt or the Lot Valley with pleasant cities as Espalion or Estaing. Walking along the heights of the Lot Valley, you will arrive in the lovely city of Conques.

- 8 days Saint James way from Le Puy - Espalion
In this first french part of Saint James Way, you will explore several different regions of France : Auvergne, Margeride, Gevaudan, the Aubrac highlands, charming and scenic in the summer months, but avoided by pilgrims in the cold of winter, when it is covered by snow and fog. In bad weather, the bells of Domerie d’Aubrac (an abbey hospital) once rang all the day and night long to guide the pilgrims towards this place of refuge. You will end your journey in the Pays d’Olt, or the Lot Valley.

Stage 2 - St James way from Espalion to Cahors
Walking along the heights of the Lot Valley, you will arrive in the lovely city of Conques, a treasure of Romanesque art nestled in a small, scallop-shell-shaped valley. You will cross through the Decazeville Basin, formerly a large coal field, and arrive in Figeac and Cajarc. From there you will head across the Causse of Limogne, a large area of sparse vegetation and stunted trees, to Cahors, an old town tucked into a curve of the Lot River

Stage 3 - St James way from Cahors to Lectoure
You will leave Cahors and the Lot Valley across the White Perigord, a vast, undulating stretch of whitish landscape where sheep pastures alternate with rich valleys producing tobacco, fruits, wine and grains. The villages are perched on the tops of steeply sloped hills called Les Puech, and dominate the surrounding landscape. After passing through Moissac, well known for its abbey and its production of sweet white grapes, you will cross the Garonne River and enter into Gascogne. You will discover the rolling countryside of Lomagne, dotted with beautiful old pigeon houses.

Stage 4 - St James way from Lectoure to Aire sur l’Adour
This part of Saint James way takes place mainly in the Gers department, the heart of Gascogne. You are in the country of bien vivre, land of Armagnac and foie gras. Gascogne has a rich history, famous for the Cadets de Gascogne who were immortalized by Alexandre Dumas and his hero d’Artagnan. The region is cris-crossed by the pilgrimage routes which run from Arles and Le Puy, joining together in the Pyrenees Mountains. Chapels, abbeys, churches, and other vestiges – such as the Bridge of Artigues and the Abbatial of La Romieu – stand as a symbol of the faith that urged the pilgrims to Compostela.

Stage 5 - from Aire sur l'Adour to St Jean Pied de Port
From Aire-sur-l’Adour, you will progressively bring yourself to the base of the Pyrenees Mountains. You will cross the vineyards of Le Tursan, next through La Chalosse – a region of grain-production and animal breeding –, and then the forests of Le Béarn. Your hike will bring you finally to the green hills of the Basque Country. To the south of Saint Palais you will notice the Cross of Gibraltar, the supposed meeting point of the different pilgrimage paths of Santiago de Compostela. These paths bring pilgrims from all over Europe to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, the last stop of the route in France, and the limit of Via Podiensis.

  
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