Église Saint-Michel (Aiguilhe) walks

As you follow this route, discover Le Puy-en-Velay (the starting point of the Way of St James) and its monuments: the cathedral, Rocher Corneille and the Statue of Notre-Dame de France, the Saint-Michel d'Aiguilhe Chapel, the cloister, the town hall, the theatre, the Crozatier Museum and the Henri-Vinay Garden.

This loop between Aiguilhe and the village of Polignac, classified as one of the "Most Beautiful Villages in France", combines sustained climbs, flat sections and fast descents. As you climb, it offers beautiful views of the town of Le Puy-en-Velay and the Polignac Fortress perched on its volcanic hill. Return via the path along the Borne.

Le Puy-en-Velay is a crossroads for several long-distance hiking trails such as theGR®70, the Stevenson Trail, theGR®3Loire Trail, theGR®700, the Regordane Trail and, of course, the Way of St James. As soon as you arrive in Le Puy-en-Velay, you can already sense the significant influence that religion has had on the town. Le Puy-en-Velay marks my first rest day after 15 days of walking on my Way of St James I discovered a town of Art and History, famous for its lace, its green lentils, its verbena, but above all for its incredible religious heritage.

Do you want to commune with nature, admire its beauty at the slow pace of walking, walk to get to know yourself better, get back to basics, push yourself: set off on an adventure along the Camino de Santiago. That’s what I’m offering you with this route. I set off from my village in the Jura (the first six stages are not part of the signposted routes of the Camino de Santiago) to reach Santiago de Compostela in Spain, but there’s nothing stopping you from setting off from your own home to join the route at any stage, starting from Le Puy-en-Velay or any other town along the way. .

Sixteenth stage of the Way of St James. From Le Puy-en-Velay to the picturesque village of Saint-Privat-d’Allier, don’t forget to look back and admire the view of the Marian city. Once you arrive in Saint-Privat-d’Allier, you’ll look out over the impressive Gorges de l’Allier and its still-wild river. Crossing the Velay region and its fields of lentils, as well as the Devès mountain range, is on the itinerary for this stage.