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    Conques (Aveyron) Figeac (Lot) Rocamadour (Lot) Cahors (Lot) Lauzerte (Tarn-et-Garonne Moissac (Tarn-et-Garonne Auvillar (Tarn-et-Garonne) La Romieu (Gers) Abbaye de Flaran (Gers) Auch (Gers) Toulouse (Haute-Garonne

    The major staging posts on St James's Way

    From Conques to Toulouse

    Take to the road to experience the beauty of the staging posts along the Le Puy route and the Arles route of St James's Way. These two pilgrimage routes run right across Occitania / Pyrenees-Mediterranean. On this itinerary from Conques to Toulouse, you stop off in places alive with the spirit, atmosphere and history of St James's Way to Santiago de Compostela, followed by countless pilgrims.



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      Duration: 6 days. 
      Total length: around 430 km.
      Start point: Conques (Aveyron). 
      End point: Toulouse (Haute Garonne).



      Day 1: Conques (Aveyron)

      Conques is 187 km northeast of Toulouse (2 hrs 56 min.)

      • Morning: visit the village of Conques and Abbey Church of Sainte Foy, a key sanctuary on the Le Puy route and a masterpiece of European Romanesque architecture.
      • Afternoon: a walk along part of the Le Puy route (the GR65 long-distance footpath) which climbs above the village, providing some superb viewpoints of Conques and the surrounding area. An easy 7km ramble.
      • Overnight in Conques.

      The Abbey Church of Sainte Foy in Conques and the bridge on the River Dourdou are UNESCO World Heritage Sites as points of major importance on St James's Way.

      Conques, profile of a Great Tourist Site in Midi-Pyrénées.

      Practical information

      • Sightseeing in Conques – More information: www.tourisme-conques.fr
      • 'Sainte Foy de Conques' walk: walk description (in French) in the walking guide Midi-Pyrénées à pied (published by the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre).

      Day 2: Conques to Rocamadour (Lot) (Lot)

      • Morning: depart for Figeac (Lot)
        1 hr – 48 Km
        Stroll round Figeac, which took in pilgrims at the abbey and many hospitals. The old centre is home to an exceptional collection of fine houses built between the 12th and 14th centuries. 
      • Afternoon: depart for Rocamadour
        51 min. – 46 Km
        Don't miss anything in Rocamadour, the perched town that is an extremely popular religious miracle site. The sanctuaries clinging to the cliff face are of particular interest. In summer you can even experience what it is like to be a pilgrim for the day.
      • Overnight in Rocamadour.

      The Hôpital Saint Jacques in Figeac and the Church of Saint Sauveur and Crypt of Saint Amadour in Rocamadour are UNESCO World Heritage Sites as major places of interest on St James's Way.

      Figeac, profile of a Great Tourist Site in Midi-Pyrénées.
      Rocamadour, profile of a Great Tourist Site in Midi-Pyrénées.

      Practical information

      Day 3: Rocamadour (Lot) to Moissac (Tarn et Garonne)

      • Morning: depart for Cahors (Lot)
        57 min. – 61 Km
        Stroll around the historical centre of Cahors, bustling with shops and 'secret gardens', from the superb fortified Pont Valentré on the River Lot to the Cathedral of Saint Etienne, built in the Byzantine style. 
      • Afternoon: Depart for Moissac, taking the D653, a road that winds through hills and villages following the course of the Le Puy route, via Lauzerte.
        1 hr 05min – 61 Km
      • Stop off in Lauzerte where receiving pilgrims is more than ever a tradition. Take a stroll around the Jardin du Pèlerin, a 'pilgrim's garden' alongside the wall of this 'bastide' town high up on the hill. 
      • Late afternoon: Having arrived in Moissac, stand and take in the beauty of the carved tympanum on the Abbey of Saint Pierre and enter the serene surroundings of the cloister (open until 7pm in July and August). Its rich decoration and state of conservation make it unique in Europe.
      • Overnight in Moissac.

      The Pont Valentré and Cathedral of Saint Etienne in Cahors, plus the Abbey of Saint Pierre and cloister in Moissac are UNESCO World Heritage Sites as major places of interest on St James's Way. 

      Cahors, profile of a Great Tourist Site in Midi-Pyrénées.
      Moissac, profile of a Great Tourist Site in Midi-Pyrénées.

      Practical information

      Day 4: Moissac (Tarn et Garonne) to Flaran Abbey (Gers)


      • Morning: visit the cloister in Moissac if you arrived too late to see it the day before.
        Depart for La Romieu (Gers)
        1 hr 01min - 81 Km
        The direct route follows the A62 autoroute via Agen. An alternative route (1 hr 12 min. – 69 km) via Auvillar and Lectoure follows the route taken by the pilgrims along pretty roads winding through the shallow valleys of Gers.
        Along the way, a number of village stopovers on the Le Puy route will make you want to break your journey; choose between: 
        - Auvillar (officially recognised as one of the most beautiful villages in France)
        - Flamarens (château) 
        - Miradoux (a beautiful 'bastide' in the part of Gers known as the Lomagne) 
        - Lectoure (a small town with a fascinating St James's Way heritage)
      • Afternoon: In La Romieu, visit the 14th century collegiate church, a magnificent example of Southern Gothic architecture. 
        Departure for Flaran Abbey.
        23 mins – 23 Km
      • Evening and overnight near Flaran Abbey, in Valence-sur-Baïse (5 min.) or Condom (10 min.).

      The collegiate church in La Romieu is a UNESCO World Heritage Site as a major point of interest on St James's Way.

      Practical information

       

      Day 5: Flaran Abbey to Auch (Gers)

      • Morning: visit the splendid Cistercian Flaran Abbey, one of the gems of Midi-Pyrénées' heritage, today the departmental cultural centre. See the exhibition of paintings by the great masters in the Simonow Collection and the exhibition about the St James's Way pilgrimage route, the only one in the South of France.
        Departure for Auch
        35 min – 33 Km
      • You are now leaving the Le Puy route and joining the Arles route, on which Auch is an unmissable staging post.
      • Afternoon: Stroll around the winding back streets of Auch, the radiant capital of Gascony, and you'll want to spend time in the Cathedral of Sainte Marie, which features some magnificent stained-glass windows.
        Departure for Toulouse
        1 hr 12min – 79 Km
      • Overnight in Toulouse
      The Cathedral of Sainte Marie in Auch is a UNESCO World Heritage Site as a major point of interest on St James's Way.

      Auch, profile of a Great Tourist Site in Midi-Pyrénées.


      Day 6: Toulouse (Haute Garonne)

      • Morning: spend the morning at the Basilica of Saint Sernin and in the pleasant surrounding district. With its wonderful brick nave dating from the 11th century, Saint Sernin's was one of the most sacred places on the pilgrimage route to Santiago de Compostela.
      • Afternoon: relax on the sunny quaysides of the Garonne, then walk across the famous Pont Neuf across the river. This will take you to the Hôtel-Dieu Saint Jacques, where pilgrims were taken in before continuing their long journey on the Arles route.

      The Basilica of Saint Sernin and Hôtel-Dieu Saint Jacques in Toulouse are UNESCO World Heritage Sites as points of major importance on St James's Way.

      Toulouse, profile of a Great Tourist Site in Midi-Pyrénées.

      Practical information

      • Flaran Abbey – Sightseeing information - Tél 05 62 28 50 19. 
      • Sightseeing in Auch – More information: www.auch-tourisme.com





















        Practical information

         
        Project co-financed by the European Union. Europe is partnering Midi-Pyrénées with the European Regional Development Fund.