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Traverse the centuries of time and the borders of Europe on the medieval pilgrim trail. In the 9th century, the tomb of the apostle St James was unearthed in Compostela. The site became the focus of a pilgrim trail beginning in France, and crossing northern Spain to Santiago de Compostela. This journey, along the Via Podensis, the French Way of St James, takes pilgrims from Le Puy en Velay to the Pyrenees at St Jean Pied de Port. The route passes a multitude of churches and monasteries, resembling a travelling museum of Romanesque art. All stages of this historic trail from Le Puy to the Pyrenees are included in our self-guided walking program in France.
This stage takes you across limestone plateaus cut by small valleys, then on to the plain of the Garonne. The trail is lined with ancient stone walls. After Moissac the landscape changes to rolling hills and lush valleys where fields of corn and sunflower are intermingled with plum orchards.
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22kg of CO2-e PP per day
(153kg of CO2-e PP entire trip)
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Day 1
Arrive Cahors
Make your own way to Cahors and your hotel. Cahors is nestled in a U-shaped bend of the Lot River. Visit the famous Valentré bridge, an emblem of the city, UNESCO World Heritage listed and a well-known pilgrim milestone. Once a major financial and trading centre during the Middle Ages, Cahors' rich heritage is evident in its fine buildings. It's also know for wine, predominantly its AOC Cahors, an intense red. The region's wine making dates from Ancient Rome, with vines being planted in the area since around 50 BC. It is the largest city on the Le Puy Camino with a population of over 22,000 inhabitants. On Saturday mornings, Cahors market (voted one of France's top 25) takes place at the foot of the magnificent Cathedral of Saint-Etienne. Try the local pastis, its famous apple cake.
Meals: Nil
Day 2
Walk to Lascabanes (6.5hrs)
Leaving Cahors, the walk starts with a demanding climb, giving you a good view of the city and bridge down to the valley. You'll then continue to the Causses limestone plateau. You will pass Labastide-Marnhac before arriving in the little village of Lascabanes, where you'll find a lovely chapel. Lascabanes had a pilgrims' hospital in the 15th century and the tiny church still offers a pilgrim blessing daily at 6pm. Distance 23km/14.3mi, +414m/1358ft, -355m/1165ft
Meals: B,D
Day 3
Continue pilgrimage to Lauzerte (6hrs)
The trail today leads you into the Tarn and Garonne region, with a few ascents and descents all the way. Walk through farmland and crop fields until you reach the beautiful village of Lauzerte, one of the “most beautiful villages of France”. This hilltop town is visible from miles away. It is in the heart of the AOC Chasselas de Moissac wine region and is also known for its Quercy melon production. Overnight Lauzerte. Distance 25km/15.5mi, +616m/2021ft, -593m/1945ft
Day 4
Walk to Moissac (7hrs)
Today is a long but quite easy walking day on quiet countryside tracks, crossing woodlands, crop fields and vineyards. Pass by the village of Durfort, one of few in the region not to have a church. The vegetation after Durfort is lush with forests. Near the Tarn valley, orchards (apples, plums, pears, peaches, cherries, kiwis and melons) replace the vineyards. Moissac was formerly an important stop on the road to Santiago de Compostela for pilgrims coming from Geneva. Here you can visit the prestigious Abbey of Saint-Pierre with its UNESCO World Heritage cloister. Take a walk along the pont Canal de Cacor, a 356m canal bridge which allows the Garonne lateral canal to cross the Tarn river. Distance 28km/17.4mi, +469m/1538ft, -611m/2004ft
Day 5
To Auvillar, with its interesting medieval circular market (6hrs)
Leaving Moissac, pass by its abbey and continue along the Tarn before returning to the Garonne and its lateral canal. You soon enter the Lomagne or "hunchback Gascogne", an area of natural beauty. Straddling the Tarn et Garonne and the Gers, this former dependency of the Duchy of Gascony is a land of white garlic, interesting houses and churches. Today's destination is the village of Auvillar, built on a promontory and classified as another of the "most beautiful villages in France". With its circular market built in 1824, its clock tower and old stone houses, there is much to see around the town. Distance 22km/13.5mi, +334m/1096ft, -300m/984ft
Day 6
To Flamarens (3-4hrs)
Today you will leave the Lot department and enter the farmlands of “Le Gers”. The walk takes you to the lovely village of Flamarens, with its castle built in the 13th century. Distance 14km/8.7mi, +364m/1194ft, -275m/902ft
Day 7
Continue to Lectoure (5-6hrs)
The final day's walk takes you first to Miradoux, a former bastide founded in 1253, the oldest in the department. Built on a small promontory, the town has character-filled stone houses, evidence of the area's rich history. Further along the trail is your destination, the lovely town of Lectoure, built on a rocky outcrop high above the hills of Lomagne. This is the Armagnac región! Known as one of the oldest cities in the Gers, Lectoure's foundation dates back to the Gallo-Roman period. With its imposing Cathedral and Chateau, once home to the Counts of Armagnac, the town has a colourful history including the siege of Louis XI in 1473. If you are here on a Friday, there is a fabulous market in the morning that showcases the region's gastronomical delights - cheeses, olives, fresh vegetables and other wonderful local produce. Distance 19km/11.9mi, +274m/999ft, -299m/981ft
Day 8
Trip concludes
Trip concludes after breakfast, or you can continue along the trail to Aire sur l'Adour / Barcelonne du Gers. Additional nights are also possible, ask our office for details.
Meals: B
What's included
What's not included
GRADE 3 - Daily walks are between 14 to 28km on well marked trails over diverse terrain – from relatively flat to mountainous. There are some reasonable hills. This is a well worn path where route finding is straight forward (refer below for further details on self guided walking). The main areas to concentrate on route finding are arriving and leaving towns. The accent is on keeping a steady pace to take in all of the attractions, with time to stop and take photos. You will need a good level of fitness and walking endurance to participate fully in this holiday.
Per Person, Twin Share
Rating: ☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆☆
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