French Way of Saint James (France)
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Le Chemin du Puy, or Le Puy Route, is the most popular of the Camino de Santiago routes in France. You might also see it referred to as the Via Podiensis. Starting from the monumental pilgrim town of Le-Puy-en-Velay in Auvergne, southern France, the route runs through the volcanic hills of the Velay region and the foothills of the Pyrenees before joining the Camino Frances in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, on the French side of the Pyrenees mountains. It takes on average 4 to 5 weeks to walk Le Chemin du Puy. The 750km-long route is marked with white-and-red stripes throughout, as part of the GR65 French hiking-trail network. Similarly to the Camino Frances, the Chemin du Puy is a “classic” and much frequented pilgrimage route to Santiago. Pilgrims gather at the Puy Cathedral, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to be blessed each morning before starting their pilgrimage. The whole route is filled with pilgrim churches, historic monuments, abbeys and cathedrals. The route will lead you through endlessly beautiful scenery and fascinatingly untouched historical cities and towns. |