Donibane Garazi, the pilgrims' stopover

Departure from the Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port (Donibane Garazi) campsite. However, there are also numerous parking spaces near the market, not far from the municipal campsite and on the same side of the Nive.

(S/E) At the campsite exit, turn right. Do not cross the bridge over the Nive de Béhérobie, but follow the path on the right, along the river, to the Roman Bridge or Pont d'Eyheraberry. Cross the bridge over the Nive and turn left towards the village.

Before reaching the church, ignore the wooden staircase climbing up to the right and take the stone staircase, which climbs just as steeply but inside the ramparts. At the top, turn onto the path on the right which goes around the Citadel. You will arrive at the picnic area. At the edge of the car park, note the Panorama Est orientation table.

(1) Follow the street to the left (note the beautiful oak tree) then, in front of the entrance to the Citadel, which now houses a school complex and is not open to visitors, continue straight ahead on the path at the bottom of the ramparts. Note the staircase on the right leading down. You will take this on the way back. Also note the beautiful beech trees on your right. Turn left onto the esplanade, pass through the Porte du Roy and find the Panorama Ouest orientation table.

Retrace your steps (ignore the rampart walk that descends to the left at the exit of the esplanade) to the staircase you noticed on the way up and descend into this small, very beautiful beech grove. At the bottom, follow the street to the left to reach Porte Saint-Jacques (information panel).

(2) Go through the gate and continue along Rue de la Citadelle. Immediately notice the pretty house plaque at number 58 on your left. Further on, find the house known as the "Prison des Évêques" on the right, then, right next to it, at number 39, the Pilgrims' Office. Then, on your left, you will find the oldest house in the village, the Maison Arcanzola (1510).

You will arrive at the Church of the Assumption of the Virgin, also known as Notre-Dame-du-Bout-du-Pont, due to its location at the end of the bridge over the Nive. Cross this bridge to continue along Rue d'Espagne, a more traditional tourist street less influenced by Compostela.

(3) At the end of the street, go through the Porte d'Espagne, turn left, with the ramparts on your right. The street turns left in front of the municipal fronton, then arrives at the entrance to the campsite (S/E).

The municipal campsite. The most generous description that comes to mind is "vintage"! It hasn't changed in over thirty years. Minimal, unheated sanitary facilities, cleaned by municipal employees who have no particular expertise in this type of task but know how to handle a hose, it seems to be part of the pilgrimage experience. It's a shame for ordinary tourists. Please note! As was the case thirty years ago, credit cards are not accepted. There are two positive points, however: it is very well located in relation to the village, and it reminded me of my youth!

The duration indicated by Visorando does not take into account visits to the Prison des Évêques or the shops.

Discover more hikes in this area with a description or the Visorando app here

Some photos here

Etymology of the Basque name for Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, Donibane Garazi: corruption of the Latin name dominus Iohannes ("Saint John" don and Iban) and Garazi "high valley of the Nive".

From its foundation at the end of the 12th century, on the initiative of the King of Navarre, the city became the key city of the kingdom in its lands on the northern side of the Pyrenees. Ideally located at the foot of the Ports or Cols de Cize and along the great route crossing the Pyrenees via Roncesvalles, the city embraced a radiant destiny as a stronghold, garrison town, commercial crossroads and pilgrimage centre.

Eyheraberry Bridge ("new mill" in Basque). Patriotic celebrations were held during the Revolution on the esplanade near the bridge, which is incorrectly referred to as Roman. Trout can be seen in the Nive River.

The Citadel. Towering over the city at a height of more than 70 metres, it stands at the top of Mendiguren Hill. Built around 125-1627 and then improved around 1640, it is an example of the bastioned fortification designed by the precursors of Vauban, who himself later made some modifications to it.

The Porte Saint-Jacques. Listed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1998, it is the historic entrance for pilgrims on their way to Compostela who, coming from the Madeleine de Saint-Jean-le-Vieux district, crossed Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port on their way to Roncesvalles.

The Prison known as the Bishops' Prison. This current and recent name combines two historical realities: the presence of bishops from the diocese of Bayonne during the Great Western Schism at the end of the 14th century, and the prison function of this building, attested since the end of the 18th century. Visitors can see spacious, well-lit disciplinary cells and a narrow staircase leading to a large medieval underground room. Open from Easter to All Saints' Day (free admission €3).

The Pilgrims' Office, or Maison Laborde, welcomes pilgrims (there is plenty of accommodation available with local residents throughout the village).

The Maison Arcanzola. A timber-framed building with herringbone brickwork. In 1531, the Blessed Jean de Mayorga, a Jesuit martyred off the coast of the Canary Islands by a Calvinist privateer, was born here. History does not recount the circumstances of this unlikely and unfortunate encounter!

Notre-Dame-du-Bout-du-Pont. Tradition attributes the construction of this Gothic church to Sancho the Strong, King of Navarre, in commemoration of the victory over the Moors at Las Navas de Tolosa in 1212. More scientifically, the stone marks found on the foundation stones date its construction to the early 13th century. The Cavaillé Coll organ has recently been restored. This church regularly hosts concerts.

Rue d'Espagne. Outside the ramparts in the Middle Ages, this neighbourhood was home to craftsmen, as evidenced by certain lintels mentioning the trade of the master of the house. At No. 9, an inscription reveals the very high cost of wheat in 1789. We know the consequences!

The Porte d'Espagne. Part of the fortified enclosure built in the 1840s, it opens onto the great medieval route across the Pyrenees, which later became the Route Napoléon that this hike follows. This route is also used by pilgrims to Compostela who are making their way to their next stop, Roncesvalles, a 7-hour walk from Saint-Jean.