The Way of le Puy

Easily the most popular of the four traditional pilgrim routes is the one from le-Puy-en-Velay (the GR65). In terms of scenery it is also probably the most interesting, as it starts in the high plateau of the Massif Central, with its treeless grasslands and drystone walls, then drops suddenly to follow the valley of the river Lot, where there is a succession of fairy-tale villages. Crossing the Tarn and the Adour, the track enters the rich rolling expanses of Gascony and arrives at the Basque village of Saint-Jean-Pied-de- Port, the end of the French half of the pilgrimage.

The traditional route has been approximately replicated by a marked pathway or Grande Randonnée (GR). The Way of le Puy is the GR65, and there are three accompanying guide books put out by the French Walking Club, the Fédération Française de la Randonnée Pédestre, commonly known as the FFRP (see Maps and Guides).

There is also an alternative marked track, very similar to the GR65 but not identical, managed by the Amis de Saint Jacques, a religious organisation. To get the maps and guides for these, it is necessary to acquire a créanciale (or crédentiale), a sort of religious passport, either from your local bishop or from a cathedral or Office of Tourism in France. The créanciale also entitles you to stay in pilgrim gîtes along the way.

It took us 31 days to do this walk.