Le Chemin du Puy
La Chaze-de-Peyre from the Chemin du Puy
Stretching from Le Puy to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port in France, le Chemin du Puy is one of the four pilgrimage feeder routes through France leading to the Camimo Frances in Spain. Most of the pilgrims from father afield in Europe would have travelled along one of these roads.
Like many Anglophones, I suspect, I wasn't aware of this route until I met a woman on the Camimo in Spain in 2003 who told me with typical French pride that le Chemin du Puy was more beautiful than the Camimo Frances itself. I think she was right, certainly about the first part from Le Puy to Conques.
I walked from Le Puy to Figeac in the fall of 2004, and from Figeac to Saint-Jean-Pied-du-Port the following spring. In those years, there were not too many walkers, but I've been back a couple of times since then to find the route more crowded. More recently, I have even heard the route descibed as "touristique", but I don't think that's fair. You are more likely to find tourist pilgrims on the Spanish route, walking from hotel to hotel and taking the coach across the more difficult or less interesting parts.
I've also noticed a change in the type of accommodation, with a number of gites catering specifically to pilgrims and requiring the creanciale. Some of these call themselves Christian gites, not that they discriminate against non-pratiquants. Sometimes these ask for a donation rather than a set price for meals and accommodation.
Like many Anglophones, I suspect, I wasn't aware of this route until I met a woman on the Camimo in Spain in 2003 who told me with typical French pride that le Chemin du Puy was more beautiful than the Camimo Frances itself. I think she was right, certainly about the first part from Le Puy to Conques.
I walked from Le Puy to Figeac in the fall of 2004, and from Figeac to Saint-Jean-Pied-du-Port the following spring. In those years, there were not too many walkers, but I've been back a couple of times since then to find the route more crowded. More recently, I have even heard the route descibed as "touristique", but I don't think that's fair. You are more likely to find tourist pilgrims on the Spanish route, walking from hotel to hotel and taking the coach across the more difficult or less interesting parts.
I've also noticed a change in the type of accommodation, with a number of gites catering specifically to pilgrims and requiring the creanciale. Some of these call themselves Christian gites, not that they discriminate against non-pratiquants. Sometimes these ask for a donation rather than a set price for meals and accommodation.