Via Podiensis
Le Puy-en-Velay ⇒ Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
The Via Podiensis is one of the oldest Camino routes and brought pilgrims from Northern Europe and France to the meeting point in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. Of the four main pilgrimage routes in France, the Via Podiensis is considered the most beautiful.
Our Via Podiensis Self-Guided Tours
Via Podiensis:
Self-Guided Tour 1
Le Puy-en-Velay ⇒Conques
Starting from € 1.240
Duration: 12 Days Total / 10 Days Walking
Distance: 199.5 km. (123 mi.)
Difficulty: moderate
Via Podiensis:
Self-Guided Tour 2
Conques ⇒ Moissac
Starting from € 860
Duration: 12 Days Total / 10 Days Walking
Distance: 207 km. (129 mi.)
Difficulty: easy/ moderate
Via Podiensis:
Self-Guided Tour 3
Moissac ⇒ Barcelonne-du-Gers/Aire-sur-l’Adour
Starting from € 930
Duration: 10 Days Total / 8 Days Walking
Distance: 166 km. (103 mi.)
Difficulty: easy
Via Podiensis:
Self-Guided Tour 4
Barcelonne-du-Gers/Aire-sur-l’Adour ⇒ Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
Starting from € 790
Duration: 9 Days Total / 7 Days Walking
Distance: 156 km. (97 mi.)
Difficulty: easy
Full Via Podiensis:
Self-Guided Tour
Le Puy-en-Velay ⇒ Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port
Starting from € 3.490
Duration: 37 Days Total / 35 Days Walking
Distance: 728.5 km. (452 mi.)
Difficulty: moderate
Information about the Via Podiensis
The Via Podiensis stretches from Le Puy in France to the starting point of the Camino Francés (French Way) in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. It is one of the oldest Camino routes and brought pilgrims from Northern Europe and France to the meeting point in Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. Of the four main pilgrimage routes in France, the Via Podiensis is considered the most beautiful. As early as 951, Bishop Godescalc of Le Puy went on a pilgrimage along this route to Santiago de Compostela.
The Via Podiensis was also mentioned in the Codex Calixtinus, the first “pilgrim guide” that covered the Way of Saint James from the twelfth century. The name Podiensis derives from the Latin word podium and led to the word le puy, which stands for a volcanic mountain in French.
This Camino in France begins in the Auvergne region, characterized by the Massif Central of France, whose volcanic origin is here.
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In 1889, UNESCO declared the Via Podiensis a World Heritage Site. The exact medieval Camino could only be partially traced and protected due to subsequent road construction. Nonetheless, major historic buildings associated with the pilgrimage tradition have been put under historic preservation instead. Among them, for example, is the Notre-Dame Cathedral in Le Puy-en-Velay.
The landscape the Way of Saint James then passes through is diverse: from the volcanic landscape of Velay, the delightful Lot Valley, the limestone plateau of the Causses, to the hilly green foothills of the Pyrenees.
The Via Podiensis is just over 1000 kilometers/621 miles long and stretches in large parts along the GR65 long-distance hiking trail. The signposting is good and there are numerous accommodations, though few pilgrim hostels, as you might know them from Spain. The budget reserved for accommodations must therefore be a little higher.
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