Chemins de Compostelle : Nasbinals - Conques
France, Massif Central
Chemins de Compostelle : Conques - Cahors
France, Massif Central
Rando walk
Linear Trek
Price
(from) :
590
Duration :
8 days
Mode :
Liberté
Next departure :
Freedom
Hike feasible in :
janv
fev
mar
avr
mai
juin
juil
aout
sept
oct
nov
dec
For hundreds of years, these tracks have been used by pilgrims and walkers. Following these footpaths which are steeped in history and visit so many different places, you will be captivated by both the variety and interest of the countryside you pass through. This long-distance walk may be the world’s oldest, following as it does the Roman road known as the “Via Agrippa” which linked Lyon and Toulouse.
Travel diary
Jour 01 : Conques (280 m)
Arrive at the hotel at the end of the
afternoon; have dinner and spend the night.
Jour 02 : Conques - Decazeville
Last goodbye to Conques before going to the Halmet "Les
Clémenties". Once you have crossed the Brousse stream, you will
arrive in Prayssac. Last tough slope and you will reach
DECAZEVILLE.
215 m ; 20 km ; 5-6 hours
Jour 03 : Decazeville - Figeac
Here we set out on two long stages. First we pass through
Livignac le haur, then Montredon - a very picturesque village.
After this we go through Les Cordiers and St Felix before reaching
Figeac (Biggest ascent 130m).
194m 29km About 7-8 hours It’s possible to do this stage
shorter
Jour 04 : Figeac - Cajarc
This trail will guide you straight to the local mountain where
you will find its huge concrete cross. Your way will lead you
accross the Faycelles village where you will enjoy the view on the
Lot Valley to join Gréalou. Before getting to Cajarc, you will have
to follow the trail that passes near a dolmen (famous in Causses)
here you will have to turn towards the hamlet of Verdier.
You can shorten this stage by contacting Bernard Taxi (+33 5 65 50 00 20). This reservation cannot be made by La Pèlerine and will be at your own expense.
You can shorten this stage by contacting Bernard Taxi (+33 5 65 50 00 20). This reservation cannot be made by La Pèlerine and will be at your own expense.
180m 30km About 7-8 hours
Jour 05 : Cajarc - Limogne en Quercy
Keep crossing the Lot to Gaillac and walk in forest and fields
to join Limogne en Quercy.
312m 18km About 4-5 hours
Jour 06 : Limogne - Lalbenque
This stage takes us off the GR so that we can go to the
accomodation (see map with topo-guide guidebook). Come accross the
causse by the old Roman road on Cami Ferrat in the oak tree forest
of Grézal.
279m 21.5km About 5-6 hours
Jour 07 : Lalbenque - Cahors
We arrive here in the famous wine-growing region of Cahors (to
be taken with moderation). Dinner not included.
122m 17 km About 4-5 hours
Jour 08 : Cahors
The holiday ends after breakfast.
RAILWAY STATIONS ALONG THE PILGRIMS 'WAY
-ST CHRISTOPHE-VALLON (20 km FROM Conques)
-RODEZ (38 km from Conques)
-VIVIEZ-DECAZEVILLE (30 km from Conques)
Link to Paris with Le Capitole (6h de trajet)
-FIGEAC (Paris/Rodez line, Brive/Toulouse line)
-CAHORS
-RODEZ (38 km from Conques)
-VIVIEZ-DECAZEVILLE (30 km from Conques)
Link to Paris with Le Capitole (6h de trajet)
-FIGEAC (Paris/Rodez line, Brive/Toulouse line)
-CAHORS
MIDDAY MEAL
Packed lunches are not included in our prices.
You can order them directly from the hotel the night before (by paying around 7-9€ for each person at the time – depending on the establishment). Alternatively you can buy food in the villages, where there are shops etc.
-Conques: bakery open every day in the tourist season; otherwise closed on Mondays. At Conques campsite there are a grocery, snack bar, restaurant and some necessary items available from the beginning of April until the end of September. There is a drinking fountain near the church.
-Noialac (1km, off the GR) : all services
Make sure you have enough water and food with you, as there are no shops in this section until you reach Decazeville.
-Decazeville : all services
-Livinhac-Le-Haut : all services; restaurant Soulié: tel: 05 65 63 35 64
-St Felix : restaurant (booking needed) : Auberge Campagnarde (Mme Vialard): tel: 05 65 50 14 01
-Figeac : all services
-Faycelles : restaurants (Le Carnivore, la Madeleine tel: 05 65 50 19 89, closed on Wednesdays), SNC La Forge open all the year round (general store; bread; newspapers).
-Béduer (off GR, 10 mins walk) : café
-Gréalou : restaurant (hôtel-restaurant les 4 vents : tel: 05 65 40 68 71), refreshments
-Cajarc : Bakery, butcher’s; local produce
-Limogne en Quercy : all services open from Tuesday to Saturday from 9am to 12h30 and from 15.00 to 19.00.
Most shops are open on Sunday mornings and in summer they are open on Monday mornings. 2 drinking fountains (one facing the OT and the other on the road to Vidaillac).
- Lalbenque : bakery closed on Monday, 2 butcher’s shops closed on Mondays. 2 small supermarkets – one open every day of the week; the other closed on Mondays except in July and August
-Varaire : restaurant, refreshments
Make sure you have enough drinking water between here and Cahors, since there are no supplies on the way
-Bach : Inn « Lou Bourdié » tel: 05 65 31 77 46
-Cahors : all services
Packed lunches are not included in our prices.
You can order them directly from the hotel the night before (by paying around 7-9€ for each person at the time – depending on the establishment). Alternatively you can buy food in the villages, where there are shops etc.
-Conques: bakery open every day in the tourist season; otherwise closed on Mondays. At Conques campsite there are a grocery, snack bar, restaurant and some necessary items available from the beginning of April until the end of September. There is a drinking fountain near the church.
-Noialac (1km, off the GR) : all services
Make sure you have enough water and food with you, as there are no shops in this section until you reach Decazeville.
-Decazeville : all services
-Livinhac-Le-Haut : all services; restaurant Soulié: tel: 05 65 63 35 64
-St Felix : restaurant (booking needed) : Auberge Campagnarde (Mme Vialard): tel: 05 65 50 14 01
-Figeac : all services
-Faycelles : restaurants (Le Carnivore, la Madeleine tel: 05 65 50 19 89, closed on Wednesdays), SNC La Forge open all the year round (general store; bread; newspapers).
-Béduer (off GR, 10 mins walk) : café
-Gréalou : restaurant (hôtel-restaurant les 4 vents : tel: 05 65 40 68 71), refreshments
-Cajarc : Bakery, butcher’s; local produce
-Limogne en Quercy : all services open from Tuesday to Saturday from 9am to 12h30 and from 15.00 to 19.00.
Most shops are open on Sunday mornings and in summer they are open on Monday mornings. 2 drinking fountains (one facing the OT and the other on the road to Vidaillac).
- Lalbenque : bakery closed on Monday, 2 butcher’s shops closed on Mondays. 2 small supermarkets – one open every day of the week; the other closed on Mondays except in July and August
-Varaire : restaurant, refreshments
Make sure you have enough drinking water between here and Cahors, since there are no supplies on the way
-Bach : Inn « Lou Bourdié » tel: 05 65 31 77 46
-Cahors : all services
WEATHER
Telephone number for weather forecasts (in French) : 32 50
Telephone number for weather forecasts (in French) : 32 50
WHICH TIME OF YEAR IS BEST?
The normal period for doing this walking tour is from May to October. From mid-October to mid-April, weather conditions can be difficult, with fog or snow, especially when crossing the Margeride and the plateau of the Aubrac. The winter season from November to March and the midsummer period of July and August are best avoided. The best times of all are in late spring or early autumn: May-June and September-October.
LANDSCAPE AND VEGETATION
The valley of the Lot consists of extensive limestone plateaus (called ‘causses’) covered with oak forests, scattered with standing stones and deeply incised by the valleys of the Lot and the Célé.
Vegetation is of the Mediterranean type: oaks, chestnuts, box-trees and maples.
CLIMATE
The plateau of Aubrac is between 1000 and 1400 metres (3280-4592 feet) above sea level. It has an upland climate, cool in spring and autumn, warm in summer.
The valley of the Lot is between 400 and 700 metres (1312-2296 feet) in altitude. It is mild in spring and autumn and hot in the middle of summer.
TYPES OF LANDSCAPE
The plateau of Aubrac consists of high level pastures, mainly open country but scattered here and there with beechwoods. Altitude: 1000 to 1400m.
The upland meadows have a rich variety of wild flowers.
The valley of the Lot consists of wooded scenery – mainly beech, oak and chestnut.
WHO WAS ST JAMES (St Jacques)?
A bit of history:
The Gospels tell us that St James was one of Christ’s twelve disciples. He was the son of Zebedee and Mary Salome. He was also the brother of Saint John and related to Christ himself through his mother. He was put to the sword – executed - by Herod.
The Church gives this Saint James the name of St James the Greater to distinguish him from another disciple, James the Lesser, who became head of the Jerusalem Church after the death of Christ.
Legend tells us that after Pentecost, Saint James travelled as a missionary to Spain. He disembarked in Andalusia on Spain’s Mediterranean coast and then journeyed to Galicia, in the far north-west corner of the Iberian Peninsula. After several years spreading the Gospel, he returned to Jerusalem where he was beheaded.
Two of his followers, Theodore and Athenasius, laid his body in a boat and took to sea. Propelled by wind and wave, the boat finally made landfall in a Galician estuary. It was here at this estuary that the ancient town of Iria Flavia was built: a town which now bears the name of El Padron.
James’ two followers buried the apostle’s body some way inland at the spot where, later, the town of Santiago de Compostela (Saint Jacques de Compostelle) was built.
For about eight centuries that was the end of the St James story, because it was not until the beginning of the 9th century that a hermit called Pelagius experienced some visions. These prompted him to contact Theodomir, the bishop of Iria Flavia. Then they discovered three tombs which they identified as those of St James and his two followers. On the ground where this discovery was made the kings of Galicia ordered a rustic church to be built.
Later a second and more magnificent church was built – which attracted the first pilgrims.
This second church, which had become raised to the status of a cathedral, was taken and destroyed by Moorish invaders. In its place was built the Romanesque cathedral which we admire to this day, though it is now embedded in the heart of the present-day cathedral which is built in a flamboyant gothic style. Saint James became the patron saint of Spain and the symbol of that country’s triumph over Islam.
In the 18th century, through fear of English invasions, the tombs of Saint James and his two followers were walled up in the cathedral crypt, and for the time being they were lost to view. It was not until the 19th century that the three tombs saw once more the light of day.
The pilgrimage of St James of Compostela is one of the three great Christian pilgrimages, together with those of Rome and Jerusalem. It owes its origin to the rersistance against Muslim invaders. After the 9th century, Saint James became the patron saint of Spain and the symbol of that country’s conquest of Islam. The pilgrimage reaches its highest importance in the 12th and 13th centuries. This was also the time of the Romanesque renaissance. With the vigorous support of the Popes and of the Order of Cluny, the Catholic kingdoms of northern Europe and of various chivalric orders, the pilgrimage became a powerful means of
communication. In Medieval Europe it acted as a highway for people, ideas, cultures and technological advancement.
Following this high point, factors including the Hundred Years’ War between France and England, Protestantism, the emergence of absolute monarchies and the French Revolution have all progressively reduced the importance of the pilgrimage.
However, just before the end of the second millennium, and since then, there has been a revival of interest in the St James pilgrimage. The Way of Saint James in Spain was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1993. In 1998 also gave World Heritage status to 69 monuments marking the St James Way in France, including seven sections of ancient pathway in Le Puy en Velay.
CREDENCIAL etc
Credencial (la Crédentiale)
Following the tradition of pilgrimages to Compostela, this document is made available to those embarking on the journey, to bear witness to their spiritual determination. It acts as a kind of pilgrim’s passport, making it easier for pilgrims to approach other people, show respect to a host, and serves as a recommendation of the pilgrim towards anyone they may meet in the course of their pilgrimage. It doesn’t confer any special rights but it does allow access to Spanish gîtes on the pilgrim route. A stamp is required to show passage through each
section of the pilgrim’s way, put there by a priest, a town hall, the tourist office or someone offering accommodation to the pilgrim.
Customarily, this document has to be ordered from an organisation as close as possible to the pilgrim’s home.
In practice you can obtain the credencial by filling in an order form on the following website: www.cheminscompostelle.
com and including a cheque for 8€ payable to the ACIR. This must be done at least ten days before your departure date.
TO ORDER
The credencial can also be ordered from the address below:
Association de Coopération Inter-Régionale
"Les chemins de Saint-Jacques de Compostelle"
4, rue Clémence Isaure - FR-31000 TOULOUSE (métro Esquirol)
Tél. : +33(0)5 62 27 00 05 - Fax : +33(0)5 62 27 12 40
@mail : chemins.de.compostelle@wanadoo.fr
The Créantiale
This is a similar document, but available without charge. It can be obtained from a church after an interview, taking the form of a ‘fraternal dialogue’. It is a ‘sign of trusting and reciprocal welcome’. It is not necessary to be a Christian to obtain this document.
Approach a priest or contact the bishopric in your diocese. (They vary in their level of interest and information on this subject.)
A Créantiale is a document to confirm that a pilgrim is indeed a pilgrim. It confers an obligation on those who give out the document as well as on those who show it to their hosts along the Pilgrim’s Way. It signifies that the bearer belongs to the class of people who are pilgrims and it also is a sign of a trusting and reciprocal welcome between the pilgrim, Christian or not, and the Church. This is because the Créantiale must be handed
back personally to the bearer, following an interview with a representative of the Catholic Church on the Christian meaning of the pilgrimage.
The associations of the friends of St James (associations des amis de St Jacques) have the right to issue the Créantiale.
The Compostella
The certificate of having completed the pilgrimage (the Compostella) is given out at Compostela itself, on presentation of a Créantiale which has been properly stamped at daily halts for all, or a large part, of St James’ Way.
It can be seen as a sort of diploma issued by the cathedral to those who have covered the last 100km of the Way on foot, or the last 200km by bicycle or on horseback.
The Créantiale
A Créantiale is a document to confirm that a pilgrim is indeed a pilgrim. It confers an obligation on those who give out the document as well as on those who show it to their hosts along the Pilgrim’s Way. It signifies that the bearer belongs to the class of people who are pilgrims and it also is a sign of a trusting and reciprocal welcome between the pilgrim, Christian or not, and the Church. This is because the Créantiale must be handed back personally to the bearer, following an interview with a representative of the Catholic Church on the Christian meaning of the pilgrimage.
The associations of the friends of St James (associations des amis de St Jacques) have the right to issue the Créantiale. You can also obtain one from the following address:
Société Nationale des Chemins de St Jacques,
Mr Michel VIDAL,
67 rue du Dr Bouissieres,
81 000 ALBI
The certificate of pilgrimage, known as a ‘Compostella’ is handed out at Santiago de Compostela on presentation of a Créantiale which has been properly rubber-stamped at daily halts for all, or a major part of, the Pilgrims’ Way.
Jour 01 : Conques (280 m)
WHICH TIME OF YEAR IS BEST?
The normal period for doing this walking tour is from May to October. From mid-October to mid-April, weather conditions can be difficult, with fog or snow, especially when crossing the Margeride and the plateau of the Aubrac. The winter season from November to March and the midsummer period of July and August are best avoided. The best times of all are in late spring or early autumn: May-June and September-October.
LANDSCAPE AND VEGETATION
The valley of the Lot consists of extensive limestone plateaus (called ‘causses’) covered with oak forests, scattered with standing stones and deeply incised by the valleys of the Lot and the Célé.
Vegetation is of the Mediterranean type: oaks, chestnuts, box-trees and maples.
CLIMATE
The plateau of Aubrac is between 1000 and 1400 metres (3280-4592 feet) above sea level. It has an upland climate, cool in spring and autumn, warm in summer.
The valley of the Lot is between 400 and 700 metres (1312-2296 feet) in altitude. It is mild in spring and autumn and hot in the middle of summer.
TYPES OF LANDSCAPE
The plateau of Aubrac consists of high level pastures, mainly open country but scattered here and there with beechwoods. Altitude: 1000 to 1400m.
The upland meadows have a rich variety of wild flowers.
The valley of the Lot consists of wooded scenery – mainly beech, oak and chestnut.
WHO WAS ST JAMES (St Jacques)?
A bit of history:
The Gospels tell us that St James was one of Christ’s twelve disciples. He was the son of Zebedee and Mary Salome. He was also the brother of Saint John and related to Christ himself through his mother. He was put to the sword – executed - by Herod.
The Church gives this Saint James the name of St James the Greater to distinguish him from another disciple, James the Lesser, who became head of the Jerusalem Church after the death of Christ.
Legend tells us that after Pentecost, Saint James travelled as a missionary to Spain. He disembarked in Andalusia on Spain’s Mediterranean coast and then journeyed to Galicia, in the far north-west corner of the Iberian Peninsula. After several years spreading the Gospel, he returned to Jerusalem where he was beheaded.
Two of his followers, Theodore and Athenasius, laid his body in a boat and took to sea. Propelled by wind and wave, the boat finally made landfall in a Galician estuary. It was here at this estuary that the ancient town of Iria Flavia was built: a town which now bears the name of El Padron.
James’ two followers buried the apostle’s body some way inland at the spot where, later, the town of Santiago de Compostela (Saint Jacques de Compostelle) was built.
For about eight centuries that was the end of the St James story, because it was not until the beginning of the 9th century that a hermit called Pelagius experienced some visions. These prompted him to contact Theodomir, the bishop of Iria Flavia. Then they discovered three tombs which they identified as those of St James and his two followers. On the ground where this discovery was made the kings of Galicia ordered a rustic church to be built.
Later a second and more magnificent church was built – which attracted the first pilgrims.
This second church, which had become raised to the status of a cathedral, was taken and destroyed by Moorish invaders. In its place was built the Romanesque cathedral which we admire to this day, though it is now embedded in the heart of the present-day cathedral which is built in a flamboyant gothic style. Saint James became the patron saint of Spain and the symbol of that country’s triumph over Islam.
In the 18th century, through fear of English invasions, the tombs of Saint James and his two followers were walled up in the cathedral crypt, and for the time being they were lost to view. It was not until the 19th century that the three tombs saw once more the light of day.
The pilgrimage of St James of Compostela is one of the three great Christian pilgrimages, together with those of Rome and Jerusalem. It owes its origin to the rersistance against Muslim invaders. After the 9th century, Saint James became the patron saint of Spain and the symbol of that country’s conquest of Islam. The pilgrimage reaches its highest importance in the 12th and 13th centuries. This was also the time of the Romanesque renaissance. With the vigorous support of the Popes and of the Order of Cluny, the Catholic kingdoms of northern Europe and of various chivalric orders, the pilgrimage became a powerful means of
communication. In Medieval Europe it acted as a highway for people, ideas, cultures and technological advancement.
Following this high point, factors including the Hundred Years’ War between France and England, Protestantism, the emergence of absolute monarchies and the French Revolution have all progressively reduced the importance of the pilgrimage.
However, just before the end of the second millennium, and since then, there has been a revival of interest in the St James pilgrimage. The Way of Saint James in Spain was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1993. In 1998 also gave World Heritage status to 69 monuments marking the St James Way in France, including seven sections of ancient pathway in Le Puy en Velay.
CREDENCIAL etc
Credencial (la Crédentiale)
Following the tradition of pilgrimages to Compostela, this document is made available to those embarking on the journey, to bear witness to their spiritual determination. It acts as a kind of pilgrim’s passport, making it easier for pilgrims to approach other people, show respect to a host, and serves as a recommendation of the pilgrim towards anyone they may meet in the course of their pilgrimage. It doesn’t confer any special rights but it does allow access to Spanish gîtes on the pilgrim route. A stamp is required to show passage through each
section of the pilgrim’s way, put there by a priest, a town hall, the tourist office or someone offering accommodation to the pilgrim.
Customarily, this document has to be ordered from an organisation as close as possible to the pilgrim’s home.
In practice you can obtain the credencial by filling in an order form on the following website: www.cheminscompostelle.
com and including a cheque for 8€ payable to the ACIR. This must be done at least ten days before your departure date.
TO ORDER
The credencial can also be ordered from the address below:
Association de Coopération Inter-Régionale
"Les chemins de Saint-Jacques de Compostelle"
4, rue Clémence Isaure - FR-31000 TOULOUSE (métro Esquirol)
Tél. : +33(0)5 62 27 00 05 - Fax : +33(0)5 62 27 12 40
@mail : chemins.de.compostelle@wanadoo.fr
The Créantiale
This is a similar document, but available without charge. It can be obtained from a church after an interview, taking the form of a ‘fraternal dialogue’. It is a ‘sign of trusting and reciprocal welcome’. It is not necessary to be a Christian to obtain this document.
Approach a priest or contact the bishopric in your diocese. (They vary in their level of interest and information on this subject.)
A Créantiale is a document to confirm that a pilgrim is indeed a pilgrim. It confers an obligation on those who give out the document as well as on those who show it to their hosts along the Pilgrim’s Way. It signifies that the bearer belongs to the class of people who are pilgrims and it also is a sign of a trusting and reciprocal welcome between the pilgrim, Christian or not, and the Church. This is because the Créantiale must be handed
back personally to the bearer, following an interview with a representative of the Catholic Church on the Christian meaning of the pilgrimage.
The associations of the friends of St James (associations des amis de St Jacques) have the right to issue the Créantiale.
The Compostella
The certificate of having completed the pilgrimage (the Compostella) is given out at Compostela itself, on presentation of a Créantiale which has been properly stamped at daily halts for all, or a large part, of St James’ Way.
It can be seen as a sort of diploma issued by the cathedral to those who have covered the last 100km of the Way on foot, or the last 200km by bicycle or on horseback.
The Créantiale
A Créantiale is a document to confirm that a pilgrim is indeed a pilgrim. It confers an obligation on those who give out the document as well as on those who show it to their hosts along the Pilgrim’s Way. It signifies that the bearer belongs to the class of people who are pilgrims and it also is a sign of a trusting and reciprocal welcome between the pilgrim, Christian or not, and the Church. This is because the Créantiale must be handed back personally to the bearer, following an interview with a representative of the Catholic Church on the Christian meaning of the pilgrimage.
The associations of the friends of St James (associations des amis de St Jacques) have the right to issue the Créantiale. You can also obtain one from the following address:
Société Nationale des Chemins de St Jacques,
Mr Michel VIDAL,
67 rue du Dr Bouissieres,
81 000 ALBI
The certificate of pilgrimage, known as a ‘Compostella’ is handed out at Santiago de Compostela on presentation of a Créantiale which has been properly rubber-stamped at daily halts for all, or a major part of, the Pilgrims’ Way.
Arrive at the hotel at the end of the
afternoon; have dinner and spend the night.
Jour 02 : Conques - Decazeville
Last goodbye to Conques before going to the Halmet "Les
Clémenties". Once you have crossed the Brousse stream, you will
arrive in Prayssac. Last tough slope and you will reach
DECAZEVILLE.
215 m ; 20 km ; 5-6 hours
Jour 03 : Decazeville - Figeac
Here we set out on two long stages. First we pass through
Livignac le haur, then Montredon - a very picturesque village.
After this we go through Les Cordiers and St Felix before reaching
Figeac (Biggest ascent 130m).
194m 29km About 7-8 hours It’s possible to do this stage
shorter
Jour 04 : Figeac - Cajarc
This trail will guide you straight to the local mountain where
you will find its huge concrete cross. Your way will lead you
accross the Faycelles village where you will enjoy the view on the
Lot Valley to join Gréalou. Before getting to Cajarc, you will have
to follow the trail that passes near a dolmen (famous in Causses)
here you will have to turn towards the hamlet of Verdier.
You can shorten this stage by contacting Bernard Taxi (+33 5 65 50 00 20). This reservation cannot be made by La Pèlerine and will be at your own expense.
You can shorten this stage by contacting Bernard Taxi (+33 5 65 50 00 20). This reservation cannot be made by La Pèlerine and will be at your own expense.
180m 30km About 7-8 hours
Jour 05 : Cajarc - Limogne en Quercy
Keep crossing the Lot to Gaillac and walk in forest and fields
to join Limogne en Quercy.
312m 18km About 4-5 hours
Jour 06 : Limogne - Lalbenque
This stage takes us off the GR so that we can go to the
accomodation (see map with topo-guide guidebook). Come accross the
causse by the old Roman road on Cami Ferrat in the oak tree forest
of Grézal.
279m 21.5km About 5-6 hours
Jour 07 : Lalbenque - Cahors
We arrive here in the famous wine-growing region of Cahors (to
be taken with moderation). Dinner not included.
122m 17 km About 4-5 hours
Jour 08 : Cahors
The holiday ends after breakfast.
RAILWAY STATIONS ALONG THE PILGRIMS 'WAY
-ST CHRISTOPHE-VALLON (20 km FROM Conques)
-RODEZ (38 km from Conques)
-VIVIEZ-DECAZEVILLE (30 km from Conques)
Link to Paris with Le Capitole (6h de trajet)
-FIGEAC (Paris/Rodez line, Brive/Toulouse line)
-CAHORS
-RODEZ (38 km from Conques)
-VIVIEZ-DECAZEVILLE (30 km from Conques)
Link to Paris with Le Capitole (6h de trajet)
-FIGEAC (Paris/Rodez line, Brive/Toulouse line)
-CAHORS
MIDDAY MEAL
Packed lunches are not included in our prices.
You can order them directly from the hotel the night before (by paying around 7-9€ for each person at the time – depending on the establishment). Alternatively you can buy food in the villages, where there are shops etc.
-Conques: bakery open every day in the tourist season; otherwise closed on Mondays. At Conques campsite there are a grocery, snack bar, restaurant and some necessary items available from the beginning of April until the end of September. There is a drinking fountain near the church.
-Noialac (1km, off the GR) : all services
Make sure you have enough water and food with you, as there are no shops in this section until you reach Decazeville.
-Decazeville : all services
-Livinhac-Le-Haut : all services; restaurant Soulié: tel: 05 65 63 35 64
-St Felix : restaurant (booking needed) : Auberge Campagnarde (Mme Vialard): tel: 05 65 50 14 01
-Figeac : all services
-Faycelles : restaurants (Le Carnivore, la Madeleine tel: 05 65 50 19 89, closed on Wednesdays), SNC La Forge open all the year round (general store; bread; newspapers).
-Béduer (off GR, 10 mins walk) : café
-Gréalou : restaurant (hôtel-restaurant les 4 vents : tel: 05 65 40 68 71), refreshments
-Cajarc : Bakery, butcher’s; local produce
-Limogne en Quercy : all services open from Tuesday to Saturday from 9am to 12h30 and from 15.00 to 19.00.
Most shops are open on Sunday mornings and in summer they are open on Monday mornings. 2 drinking fountains (one facing the OT and the other on the road to Vidaillac).
- Lalbenque : bakery closed on Monday, 2 butcher’s shops closed on Mondays. 2 small supermarkets – one open every day of the week; the other closed on Mondays except in July and August
-Varaire : restaurant, refreshments
Make sure you have enough drinking water between here and Cahors, since there are no supplies on the way
-Bach : Inn « Lou Bourdié » tel: 05 65 31 77 46
-Cahors : all services
Packed lunches are not included in our prices.
You can order them directly from the hotel the night before (by paying around 7-9€ for each person at the time – depending on the establishment). Alternatively you can buy food in the villages, where there are shops etc.
-Conques: bakery open every day in the tourist season; otherwise closed on Mondays. At Conques campsite there are a grocery, snack bar, restaurant and some necessary items available from the beginning of April until the end of September. There is a drinking fountain near the church.
-Noialac (1km, off the GR) : all services
Make sure you have enough water and food with you, as there are no shops in this section until you reach Decazeville.
-Decazeville : all services
-Livinhac-Le-Haut : all services; restaurant Soulié: tel: 05 65 63 35 64
-St Felix : restaurant (booking needed) : Auberge Campagnarde (Mme Vialard): tel: 05 65 50 14 01
-Figeac : all services
-Faycelles : restaurants (Le Carnivore, la Madeleine tel: 05 65 50 19 89, closed on Wednesdays), SNC La Forge open all the year round (general store; bread; newspapers).
-Béduer (off GR, 10 mins walk) : café
-Gréalou : restaurant (hôtel-restaurant les 4 vents : tel: 05 65 40 68 71), refreshments
-Cajarc : Bakery, butcher’s; local produce
-Limogne en Quercy : all services open from Tuesday to Saturday from 9am to 12h30 and from 15.00 to 19.00.
Most shops are open on Sunday mornings and in summer they are open on Monday mornings. 2 drinking fountains (one facing the OT and the other on the road to Vidaillac).
- Lalbenque : bakery closed on Monday, 2 butcher’s shops closed on Mondays. 2 small supermarkets – one open every day of the week; the other closed on Mondays except in July and August
-Varaire : restaurant, refreshments
Make sure you have enough drinking water between here and Cahors, since there are no supplies on the way
-Bach : Inn « Lou Bourdié » tel: 05 65 31 77 46
-Cahors : all services
WEATHER
Telephone number for weather forecasts (in French) : 32 50
Telephone number for weather forecasts (in French) : 32 50
WHICH TIME OF YEAR IS BEST?
The normal period for doing this walking tour is from May to October. From mid-October to mid-April, weather conditions can be difficult, with fog or snow, especially when crossing the Margeride and the plateau of the Aubrac. The winter season from November to March and the midsummer period of July and August are best avoided. The best times of all are in late spring or early autumn: May-June and September-October.
LANDSCAPE AND VEGETATION
The valley of the Lot consists of extensive limestone plateaus (called ‘causses’) covered with oak forests, scattered with standing stones and deeply incised by the valleys of the Lot and the Célé.
Vegetation is of the Mediterranean type: oaks, chestnuts, box-trees and maples.
CLIMATE
The plateau of Aubrac is between 1000 and 1400 metres (3280-4592 feet) above sea level. It has an upland climate, cool in spring and autumn, warm in summer.
The valley of the Lot is between 400 and 700 metres (1312-2296 feet) in altitude. It is mild in spring and autumn and hot in the middle of summer.
TYPES OF LANDSCAPE
The plateau of Aubrac consists of high level pastures, mainly open country but scattered here and there with beechwoods. Altitude: 1000 to 1400m.
The upland meadows have a rich variety of wild flowers.
The valley of the Lot consists of wooded scenery – mainly beech, oak and chestnut.
WHO WAS ST JAMES (St Jacques)?
A bit of history:
The Gospels tell us that St James was one of Christ’s twelve disciples. He was the son of Zebedee and Mary Salome. He was also the brother of Saint John and related to Christ himself through his mother. He was put to the sword – executed - by Herod.
The Church gives this Saint James the name of St James the Greater to distinguish him from another disciple, James the Lesser, who became head of the Jerusalem Church after the death of Christ.
Legend tells us that after Pentecost, Saint James travelled as a missionary to Spain. He disembarked in Andalusia on Spain’s Mediterranean coast and then journeyed to Galicia, in the far north-west corner of the Iberian Peninsula. After several years spreading the Gospel, he returned to Jerusalem where he was beheaded.
Two of his followers, Theodore and Athenasius, laid his body in a boat and took to sea. Propelled by wind and wave, the boat finally made landfall in a Galician estuary. It was here at this estuary that the ancient town of Iria Flavia was built: a town which now bears the name of El Padron.
James’ two followers buried the apostle’s body some way inland at the spot where, later, the town of Santiago de Compostela (Saint Jacques de Compostelle) was built.
For about eight centuries that was the end of the St James story, because it was not until the beginning of the 9th century that a hermit called Pelagius experienced some visions. These prompted him to contact Theodomir, the bishop of Iria Flavia. Then they discovered three tombs which they identified as those of St James and his two followers. On the ground where this discovery was made the kings of Galicia ordered a rustic church to be built.
Later a second and more magnificent church was built – which attracted the first pilgrims.
This second church, which had become raised to the status of a cathedral, was taken and destroyed by Moorish invaders. In its place was built the Romanesque cathedral which we admire to this day, though it is now embedded in the heart of the present-day cathedral which is built in a flamboyant gothic style. Saint James became the patron saint of Spain and the symbol of that country’s triumph over Islam.
In the 18th century, through fear of English invasions, the tombs of Saint James and his two followers were walled up in the cathedral crypt, and for the time being they were lost to view. It was not until the 19th century that the three tombs saw once more the light of day.
The pilgrimage of St James of Compostela is one of the three great Christian pilgrimages, together with those of Rome and Jerusalem. It owes its origin to the rersistance against Muslim invaders. After the 9th century, Saint James became the patron saint of Spain and the symbol of that country’s conquest of Islam. The pilgrimage reaches its highest importance in the 12th and 13th centuries. This was also the time of the Romanesque renaissance. With the vigorous support of the Popes and of the Order of Cluny, the Catholic kingdoms of northern Europe and of various chivalric orders, the pilgrimage became a powerful means of
communication. In Medieval Europe it acted as a highway for people, ideas, cultures and technological advancement.
Following this high point, factors including the Hundred Years’ War between France and England, Protestantism, the emergence of absolute monarchies and the French Revolution have all progressively reduced the importance of the pilgrimage.
However, just before the end of the second millennium, and since then, there has been a revival of interest in the St James pilgrimage. The Way of Saint James in Spain was declared a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1993. In 1998 also gave World Heritage status to 69 monuments marking the St James Way in France, including seven sections of ancient pathway in Le Puy en Velay.
CREDENCIAL etc
Credencial (la Crédentiale)
Following the tradition of pilgrimages to Compostela, this document is made available to those embarking on the journey, to bear witness to their spiritual determination. It acts as a kind of pilgrim’s passport, making it easier for pilgrims to approach other people, show respect to a host, and serves as a recommendation of the pilgrim towards anyone they may meet in the course of their pilgrimage. It doesn’t confer any special rights but it does allow access to Spanish gîtes on the pilgrim route. A stamp is required to show passage through each
section of the pilgrim’s way, put there by a priest, a town hall, the tourist office or someone offering accommodation to the pilgrim.
Customarily, this document has to be ordered from an organisation as close as possible to the pilgrim’s home.
In practice you can obtain the credencial by filling in an order form on the following website: www.cheminscompostelle.
com and including a cheque for 8€ payable to the ACIR. This must be done at least ten days before your departure date.
TO ORDER
The credencial can also be ordered from the address below:
Association de Coopération Inter-Régionale
"Les chemins de Saint-Jacques de Compostelle"
4, rue Clémence Isaure - FR-31000 TOULOUSE (métro Esquirol)
Tél. : +33(0)5 62 27 00 05 - Fax : +33(0)5 62 27 12 40
@mail : chemins.de.compostelle@wanadoo.fr
The Créantiale
This is a similar document, but available without charge. It can be obtained from a church after an interview, taking the form of a ‘fraternal dialogue’. It is a ‘sign of trusting and reciprocal welcome’. It is not necessary to be a Christian to obtain this document.
Approach a priest or contact the bishopric in your diocese. (They vary in their level of interest and information on this subject.)
A Créantiale is a document to confirm that a pilgrim is indeed a pilgrim. It confers an obligation on those who give out the document as well as on those who show it to their hosts along the Pilgrim’s Way. It signifies that the bearer belongs to the class of people who are pilgrims and it also is a sign of a trusting and reciprocal welcome between the pilgrim, Christian or not, and the Church. This is because the Créantiale must be handed
back personally to the bearer, following an interview with a representative of the Catholic Church on the Christian meaning of the pilgrimage.
The associations of the friends of St James (associations des amis de St Jacques) have the right to issue the Créantiale.
The Compostella
The certificate of having completed the pilgrimage (the Compostella) is given out at Compostela itself, on presentation of a Créantiale which has been properly stamped at daily halts for all, or a large part, of St James’ Way.
It can be seen as a sort of diploma issued by the cathedral to those who have covered the last 100km of the Way on foot, or the last 200km by bicycle or on horseback.
The Créantiale
A Créantiale is a document to confirm that a pilgrim is indeed a pilgrim. It confers an obligation on those who give out the document as well as on those who show it to their hosts along the Pilgrim’s Way. It signifies that the bearer belongs to the class of people who are pilgrims and it also is a sign of a trusting and reciprocal welcome between the pilgrim, Christian or not, and the Church. This is because the Créantiale must be handed back personally to the bearer, following an interview with a representative of the Catholic Church on the Christian meaning of the pilgrimage.
The associations of the friends of St James (associations des amis de St Jacques) have the right to issue the Créantiale. You can also obtain one from the following address:
Société Nationale des Chemins de St Jacques,
Mr Michel VIDAL,
67 rue du Dr Bouissieres,
81 000 ALBI
The certificate of pilgrimage, known as a ‘Compostella’ is handed out at Santiago de Compostela on presentation of a Créantiale which has been properly rubber-stamped at daily halts for all, or a major part of, the Pilgrims’ Way.
Reception for the walking tour takes place at the first hotel, the evening before your first day’s walking. If you come by car there are paying car parks in the village of Conques (enquire directly at the Mairie [town hall] or at the Tourist Office [office de tourisme].
Train : Rodez railway station (Gare SNCF de RODEZ : or station of ST CHRISTOPHE VALLON
Then a coach journey to Conques (38km) Regular service between Rodez and Conques please check on your own Autocars VERDIE +33 5 65 77 10 55 ; www.verdie-autocars.com : call 223 (no transfert on sundays and bank holidays)
For trains arriving at the station at St Chistophe Vallon à 15.45 et 6 .31, transport can be arranged on demand, when you arrive, by contacting: DIAZ taxi in Marcillac Vallon (+33 5 65 63 04 04) or ALARY in Entraygues (+33 5 65 44 53 34).
Please book these yourselves at the earliest possible date. We cannot take responsibility for ordering these taxis and their price will not be included in the overall price of the walking tour.
Car : You can leave your car at Conques. There are paying car parks in the village (contact the Mairie [town hall] or the tourist office for information).
By plane : Rodez airport
Aéroport de Rodez – Marcillac (free parking) Tel : 05 65 42 20 30
Email : aeroport-rodez-marcillac@wanadoo.fr
Direct flights to Paris and Lyon.
USEFUL ADDRESSES
- "La Croisée des chemins au Puy en Velay" : www.lacroiseedeschemins.com
- "Association de Coopération Inter-Régionale" « Les Chemins de St Jacques », 4
rue Clémence Isaure 31000 Toulouse, Tel : 05 62 27 00 05, Site www.cheminscompostelle.com
- "Société des Amis de St Jacques", 8, rue des Canettes 75006 Paris Tel : 01 43 54
32 90 www.compostelle.asso.fr
- "Compostelle 2000", 11 rue Hermel 75018 Paris, Tél : 01 43 20 71 66
Your walking tour ends the morning after your last day’s walking, after breakfast.
Returning home by train (Cahors train station)
Use Cahors train station: (Gare SNCF de Cahors tel: travel on the Toulouse-Paris line via Brive.
Information from SNCF : 36 35 or www.sncf.fr
Return plane :
Toulouse airport: Aéroport Toulouse- Blagnac Tel : 0 825 380 000
Cahors is 115km from Toulouse.
Medium
From 50 – 350m of ascents each day.
Hotel * / ** and guesthouse. Showers and WCs may be on landings or on the next floor in certain establishments.
NB: Bedrooms will only be available after 4pm.
When two hotels are full, we will have to arrange for you to pass two nights at the same establishment and organise transport for the walk. (This will not change the route of your day’s walk.) Details of this kind will be noted on your booking confirmation, should they be necessary. You may be asked to pay a supplement.
INFORMATION:
Gone for a long time, some stink bugs have come back in varied types of accomodations (mountains or close to the sea as well). They are brought by walkers themselves or travelers who carried them on their bag or clothes... (it has nohing to do with hygiene). Some accomodations far from mountain trails face the very same issue. These bugs sting like mosquitoes when sleeping and sometimes cause allergies. To prevent bites, an association picked an envrionnement and health respectful insecticide 100% natural and Eco certified. We advise you to protect your luggage and equipment before leaving on your trip with a proper spray. You will be able to find this lightweight product while hiking or when arriving to your accomodations (not everyone). Use it essentially in and on your stuff.
Find it here as well: http://chemindecompostelle.com/punaisedelit/index.html
FOOD
Breakfasts will be traditional (often taking the form of buffets) and are served at around 8am.
If you want an earlier breakfast than this, talk about it to the hotel-keeper the evening before to find out if it is possible.
Dinner is usually served from 7.30pm onwards. It usually consists of the meal of the day. Most hotels do not offer a choice of menu unless you pay a supplement.
When eating outside of the hotel, please specify your La Pèlerine's customers.
MIDDAY MEAL
Packed lunches are not included in our prices.
You can order them directly from the hotel the night before (by paying around 7-9€ for each person at the time – depending on the establishment). Alternatively you can buy food in the villages, where there are shops etc.
Your baggage will be transported between each of the places where you spend the night, at the end of the afternoon (6pm).
A supplement may be payable for the transportation of baggage after October.
NB: We ask you to put your bags in the hallway/lounge of each hotel every morning at 8am. We also insist that each person has only one bag of belongings for transportation, and that no bag must weigh more than 15 kilos. If you have more than one bag, or if your bag weighs more than 15kg, the transporter can either demand a supplement at the end of the walking tour, or simply refuse altogether to carry your baggage if it is too cumbersome. You are advised not to take ordinary suitcases, but to use a strong, solidly-made travelling bag.
You are advised to take a small day-sack or rucksack to carry your personal belongings during the day’s walk.
If you are part of a group, we require you to show clearly on your luggage labels the name of your group leader (i.e. the person who booked your walking tour).
For 1 person and more.
To enable you to follow the route successfully we will send you, on receipt of payment for the holiday, the official guidebook: le topo guide Sentiers de St Jacques, GR 65, Réf: 651 and Réf 652. There will be one guidebook supplied for 1-4 people. (An English translation of the route directions is also available on request.)
- a small rucksack for your packed lunch and anything else needed for the day’s walk
- basic first aid – eg plasters, antiseptic fluid, alcohol for feet etc
- a good pair of walking boots or shoes, suitable for hill walking. Beware of new boots – test them or break
them in first.
- sun-glasses, sun-cream and sun-hat
- waterproof garments
- light shoes for the evening
- water bottle; it is important to drink 1.5 to 2 litres per day
- a knife
- torch (optional)
- binoculars (if desired)
- paper handkerchiefs
- needle, thread, safety pins
Mobile phones do not work everywhere along the route. You may wish to have a phone card with you as well.
Dates and prices
|
Dates
|
Price per person with Bag Transfer
|
Price per person without Bag Transfer |
|
From mid-April to early november
|
670€ | 620 € |
Single room (individual room) : 220 €
Return Transfer by bus or taxi (to be booked with your booking for the whole trip) : 40 € / person
These walking holidays can be arranged between the 1st May and the beginning of November, at any time convenient to you and subject to the availability of hotels.
Please indicate on the booking form any other dates which would suit you (for example if you were able to change the dates of your walking holiday by one or two days either before or after your preferred date …): this is in case one or several hotels etc are not available on your preferred date.
We would also ask you to make your booking as early as possible. We don’t keep permanent reservations and certain hotels can be filled up several months in advance.
The price includes
The price includes:
- Organisaion fees
- half board except
- the bag transfer
- the ‘topo-guide’guidebook (one guidebook for 1-4 people);
The price does not include
The Price does not include:
- the picnic lunch
- insurance
- drinks and personal spending
- the cost of getting from your home to the starting point, or getting home again after the holiday
- any taxis or shuttles taking you back to your car; any extra transport for shortening sections of the walk or any parking fees
- Subscription and mailing fees for foreign countries
- individual room additionnal fee
Be careful ! Some additional fees (50 €) may be applied if any changements are made after the boooking.
Suggested Trips
Rando à pied
Itinérant en linéaireFrom : 655 €Duration : 7 days
Rando à pied
Itinérant en linéaireFrom : 970 €Duration : 10 days
Chemins de Compostelle : Aire sur Adour - St Jean Pied de Port
France, Pyrénées
Rando à pied
Itinérant en linéaireFrom : 1200 €Duration : 16 days
Availabilities
From 15/04/2025 to 31/10/2025
590,00 €
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