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Itinerary:
Day
1: Arrive Le
Puy.
Day
2: Le Puy to
St Privat d’Allier 22 kms. We
climb out of Le Puy onto a plateau and overlook a winding valley. We
pass through black basalt villages like La Roche, then cross a
watershed to reach St Privat, perched above the Allier gorge.
Day
3: St Privat
d’Allier to Saugues 18 kms. Much
of the day is spent crossing the valley; we start with a level walk
to Rochegude, where the Saint Jacques chapel dominates the Allier
pass, providing beautiful views.
We descend to the river at Monistrol (Romanesque church) and
climb the other side past some striking geological formations.
Easy tracks at about 1000 metres take us to Sauges,
meeting-point for all pilgrims coming from the Auvergne.
Day
4: Saugues
to les Faux. 25 kms. We
stick closely to the route the pilgrims took as we start off through
the tiny hamlet of Pinet where many of the pilgrims stayed.
We gradually climb up the valley and follow the Villange
River upstream to Clauze with its ancient tower - the remains of a
12th century castle. Our
walk is long but not steep through wooded landscapes, moors of broom
pine woods and meadows enclosed by granites posts.
Day
5: Les Faux to Aumont. 19 kms. We eventually arrive in
the village of St Alban with its Romanesque church dating back to
the 11th century. We climb upwards for a couple of hours, enjoying
the views of St Alban and the lush Limagnole Valley.
Eventually we emerge on to the Margeride plateau at around
900 metres, before descending down to Aumont.
This is a desolate region of wild flowers, treeless, empty of
people. Part of the
route here follows the old Roman road of Agrippa.
Aumont is a fine little town - one of those delightful
undiscovered parts of France.
Day
6: Aumont to
Nasbinals. 26 kms. Our
walk starts off through the small town with its 16th and 17th
century houses, until we join a forest path.
We pass through the villages of La Chaze and Lasbros and we
start to cross the vast and remote plateau of Aubrac.
Our route takes us through tiny hamlets and farmsteads
crossings streams over ancient granite bridges until we arrive at
Nasbinals.
Day
7: Nasbinals to St Chely d’Aubrac. 20 kms.
An exhilarating day, much of it on open hillsides and grassy
drove roads, reaching 1350 metres.
We pass through the great transhumance centre of Aubrac
(church of 1220 and Tour des Anglais), drop steeply past the ruins
of Belvezet castle to pretty St Chely in its secluded valley.
Day
8: St Chely
d’Aubrac to St Come d'Olt. 16kms.
We contour along beech-clad slops onto an open ridge, and
then descend through chestnut woods to St Come d'Olt, with its
mediaeval gateways and twisted church spire.
Day
9: St Come d'Olt to
Estaing 17 kms. We pass
the exquisite little chapel at Bessuejouls, climb through oak woods
to a ridge with extensive views over the Lot valley, and pass
between vines and tobacco-fields to reach Estaing. Estaing has
preserved vividly the memory of the passage of pilgrims to
Compostela. The famous
festival of St Fleuret is held yearly on the first Sunday in July,
during which hundreds of costumed people follow a procession to
commemorate Saint Jacques and other pilgrims.
An imposing castle dominates the town.
Day
10: Estaing to Espeyrac. 23 kms.
After a short stint along the banks of the Lot, we climb up
to the plateau of Campeux. We
continue along the left bank of the Lot until Rouquette and then
through beautiful villages such as Golinhac, Campagnac and still
smaller hamlets until we reach Espeyrac.
Day 11: Espeyrac to
Conques 13 kms. A short
distance today, taking us through Senergues (picturesque castle) and
maintaining our height until the final dramatic decent into Conques.
This, one of the finest hill-towns in France, clusters round
the magnificent Romanesque abbey of St Foy, patron saint of
prisoners: her shrine became an object of pilgrimage in its own
right.
Day 12: End of
tour.
Accommodation
Arriving
in Le Puy we stay at an elegant, centrally located 2* hotel.
At St Privat we stay in a simple 1* country hotel. The 2*
hotel in Sauges, which is the traditional meeting point for
the Auvergne pilgrims, has been serving good regional food to
pilgrims for 150 years. Hotels in Les Faux and Aumont
(2*) are typically French provincial with a good standard of
facilities. At Nasbinals we stay at an 2* hotel in the centre
of town behind the church. Our 2* hotel in St Chely is right
next door to the 11th century church and our small ‘chambre
d’hote’ guesthouse at St. Come d’Olt will give you a
warm welcome. In pretty Estaing (2*) we are by the old
bridge, with a riverside terrace, and old wooden beams all around.
At Espeyrac (1*) , we stay in the centre of the village. The
last night is in Conques (1*), famous for its 11th century
Abbey Church.
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