Way of St James – France, Europe - A Walker's Guide

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Le Puy-en-Velay to Roziers

When planning your first day remember that from Le Puy (625mn) to the Lac d’Oeuf (1206m) the 20km stretch between Montbonnet and Saint-Privat-d’Allier is continuously uphill.

Starting from the inside of the cathedral and with your back to the main altar (note statue of St James the pilgrim on pillar to LH side of aisle, facing altar – this dates from the 15th century but was only purchased for the cathedral, by public subscription, in 1990) go down the main staircase ahead. Go down the long flight of steps outside and then down the Rue des Tables ahead (note old houses with statues in niches at first-floor level). Turn L after the fountain (des ‘Choristes’) into the Rue Raphaël. KSO to the end and continue, veering R, down Rue Chènebouterie to the Place du Plot, the traditional pilgrim starting point. Turn R at end into the Rue Saint-Jacques (statue of St James the pilgrim in niche above chemist’s shop on corner of this street and the Place du Plot, plaque of ‘Amis de Saint-Jacques’ on wall on L). Cross Boulevard Saint-Louis and KSO uphill, climbing steeply (several benches en route), up the Rue des Capucins. At the top there is the first clear waymark and large wooden statue of St James pilgrim on L: turn R and then L after 50m up the Route de Compostelle, continuing to climb steadily. KSO(L) at fork and at bend in road turn R up FP by sports field and then L up a flight of steps back up to the road, where you turn R. (Handy seat at top, positioned with a good view back over Le Puy.)

When you reach the top (modern factory building on R) KSO(L) at fork down wide gravelled lane alongside high stone wall, passing below octagonal building on LH side. Lane then > an unsurfaced road. Good views all round. At the crossing of five tracks KSO, passing stone wayside cross (to your L, with notice telling you there are 1695km to Santiago, though these, and subsequent indications of this sort, are not necessarily accurate). KSO, climbing gradually, and ignoring turnings to L and R for 2.5k m until you reach the D589.

5.5km La Roche 872m (5.5/732.5)

Junction with GR3, which coincides, going SW, with the GR65 for a short distance.

Either turn L along D589 for 800m or, as the balises indicate (and to avoid walking on the road), cross over and KSO on walled lane for 800m then turn L for 400m back to road (making a triangular detour). Then either turn L (from road) or cross road (from track) onto a very minor tarred road and then turn hard R onto upper of two paths. KSO, ignoring turnings and then descend slightly (lane > FP) to join another tarred lane below you and follow this round to the R behind houses. About 50m before you reach the road again turn L down grassy track, slightly downhill, which then > a FP. KSO, avoiding turns and maintaining your height, as the path winds its way along the shoulder of the hillside, // to the river Gazelle in the valley bottom below you to the L. (TV mast on skyline ahead.) Path follows low wall on your R for a while (be careful in foggy weather as although it is fairly wide there is a steep drop to your L – you are walking along a ridge). Path then goes on to open grassland. When you come to a T-junction with a farm track (1km later, coming from the R) KSO(L), descending slightly to small wayside cross on L.

There are a lot of wayside crosses in this area marking the pilgrim routes, but although they may seem like the equivalent of our modern waymarks, in centuries gone by they were often used to mark the site of a local shrine or pilgrimage. KSO(R) here at fork (this is where the GR65 and the GR3 separate), taking the uphill/level track to the R (the GR3 goes L downhill here) and KSO along grassy track that > a shady walled lane before it begins to descend slowly to cross small humpbacked bridge over stream. KSO again, along tree-lined lane rising gently until you reach the Place de l’Eglise in the village of…

3km Saint-Christophe-sur-Dolaison 908m (8.5/729.5)

Bar/tabac (doesn’t do food but you can eat your own if you buy a drink), L’Auberge du Grand Chemin (X Mon, does meals T–F midday and Sat evening), boulangerie + limited groceries, tap by Mairie. 12th-century church built of pink basalt rock, with interesting bell-tower and statue of St Roch pilgrim inside, château/seigneurie.

Pass to LH side of church (Mairie, phone box, tap and PTT all on your L on road), turn L (Rue du Château) and then turn R along the D31, passing remains of communal bread oven on RH side. About 100m later on turn R (Place du Lavoir, seats, picnic tables) at small junction down minor road marked ‘Tallode 0,5km’, skirt the seigneurie’s perimeter wall, go under main road (D906) and KSO(L) by wayside cross on other side. Continue through hamlets of Tallode (0.5km, CH, gîte de groupe X Dec/Jan, 14pl, 04.71.03.17.78 & 06.18.11.38.06) and Liac (0.7km further), turning L at end after wayside cross on R by house on L then R down walled lane (track ahead of you continues as grassy track) marked ‘Lic 1km’. Continue to hamlet of Lic (1km, lane enters open plateau land) and at end, as lane turns L, turn R at side of building up stony track which then opens out to grassy field and KSO alongside low wall on your L, later with low walls on both sides. After 400m turn 2nd L down similar lane at right-angle junction and cross very minor tarred road 200m later. (Variante via Bains – three CH, 2 bakeries, 2 restaurants, Church of Sainte-Foy de Conques – begins here). KSO on other side. (Montbonnet visible on hillside ahead.) At staggered junction of five similar tracks turn L (not hard L – TV mast now ahead on skyline) and 200m later fork R. KSO along this lane until you reach the D621 and turn R along it at the entrance to the village of…

5.5km Ramourouscle 1030m (14/724)

Tap by junction, 17th-century wayside cross (with seat) and, on L, the first of several métiers à ferrer les boeufs that you will see along the way – a device for holding oxen in place while they were fitted with shoes.

In centre of village turn L onto smaller road marked ‘Montbonnet 2’. KSO for 1.5km, ignoring turns, until you reach the…

1.5km Chapelle Saint-Roch (15.5/722.5)

Early 13th-century Romanesque chapel, the first of many along the way dedicated to the patron saint of pilgrims. It was originally dedicated to St James, then St Bonnet (a local saint) and then, in the 17th century, to St Roch. Inside there are two engravings of St Roch as a pilgrim and one statue. Chapel is normally open though it was closed for repairs in July 2009 when this guide was being updated.

Continue on road for 500m, passing the Croix des Pélerins to the village of…

0.5km Montbonnet 1108m (16/722)

2 gîtes d’étape: a) Gîte d’étape privé l’Escole (04.71.57.51.03, 1/3–4/10, 15 pl); b) Gîte d’étape La Grange/Bar Bar Saint-Jacques (04.71.57.54.44, open all year, 7/7 May–Oct). CH La Barbelotte (06.74.45.51.13) on main road to L on entry, run by two ex-pilgrims, open all year. Café-restaurant Le Grand Duc on entry to village, 7/7 April–Sept, otherwise tel. 04.71.57.53.02.

Continue on road, following it through village, uphill, to junction with D589. (Turn R for gîte.) Turn L on road and 150m later turn R up gravelled lane just before the bar. (From here to the Lac d’Oeuf the GR65 and GR40 coincide.) About 1km later turn R at junction, uphill towards woods. Fork L at next fork, turn L at next junction and then, when track levels out, follow path to a T-junction.When you reach a tarred forest road turn L along it. After 100m fork R down grassy track, descending gradually all the time. Reach a road, cross it and turn R down a second road (behind D589) leading into hamlet of…

4.5km Le Chier 1050m (20.5/717.5)

Tap by Mairie, 2 CH: a) 04.71.57.29.37 & 06.60.38.25.34 b) 04.71.57.20.46.

KSO(L) in centre at tall wayside cross (where road bends round to R) down tarred lane alongside a couderc (a sort of village green). Lane > walled, continuing to descend, with fields on either side. Fork R 200m later down wide FP, descending steadily all the time. Pass turning (back L) marked ‘Croix du Grand Rocher’ and KSO. Around 200m later, when track starts to go uphill, turn L down wide FP, which > a narrow walled lane then a forest path, winding its way steeply down to the valley bottom where it crosses a wooden bridge by an old mill over the Ruisseau du Rouchoux. (NB This section could be very slippery in wet weather.) Continue on other side, passing in front of houses. Tarred lane climbs gently and joins D589 coming from back R. Turn L along it into village of…

3km Saint-Privat-d’Allier 890m (23.5/714.5)

Shops, hotel, Gîte d’Etape La Cabourne at end of village (04.71.57.25.50, open 15/3–15/10, 47 pl K), Accueil bénévolé des pèlerins at first house on R on main road at entry to village (04.71.57 21.56 but no reservations, X 1/10–15/10, donation, K), Gîte-Bar le Kompost’L (04.71.57.24.78, all year, 7/7 but X Mon Oct–May), municipal campsite 04.71.57.22.13, May–Oct), another bar (X Thurs), 2 shops (7/7 but X Mon out of season), TO, tap. Romanesque church, remains of château.

To continue, KSO(R) ahead at junction in centre of village between café and bakery, pass Mairie (R) then turn L at next junction onto another minor road, veering L then, at bend (3 very large crosses and picnic table to R), fork L onto FP along side of hill with wall to LH side. Reach D301 by iron cross, turn R then L 100m later, after town place-name board and large electric pylon, onto small FP downhill which > a small walled lane. Cross stream and go uphill again to road (short-cutting bend on road). (In winter, however, or in very wet weather, you might consider staying on the road until the path crosses it again as the FP may be flooded, like walking down a stream.) Reach small FB, cross stream and KSO uphill to road again. Cross over and continue on other side up to a minor road.

Turn R here, then L almost immediately at a crossing opposite a large house, up wide cobbled walled lane. About 200m later turn L onto tarmac lane past small groups of buildings (this is Combriaux); 200m after that KSO at fork, and then 100m later, by bend in road, fork R up FP uphill. Reach minor road again shortly afterwards, turn R along it for 500m then, by sharp RH bend, fork R up FP into the woods, // to road below. Return to road 200m later and look out for FP to L (view of tower in Rochegude suddenly comes into view ahead) and fork L down it through woods. About 400m later emerge at crossing at entrance to…

3km Rochegude 967m (26.5/711.5)

Tower, tiny chapel dedicated to St James perched on top of rocky belvedere, the only surviving remains, apart from the tower, of a 13th-century castle complex. Wooden statue of St James pilgrim inside. Commanding views on a clear day. (Beware of straying too far away from chapel if foggy as there are very steep drops on two of its sides.)

To see chapel and tower go up grassy track ahead. To continue turn L downhill. Go down rocky FP which descends steadily and steeply (the descent from here down to Monistrol can be very slippery in wet weather). KSO(L) at fork. When you reach a road (at entrance to hamlet of Pratclaux, tap, where you can, in fact, continue on road for 1.4km directly to Monistrol) turn L for 50m then fork L (opposite a RH turn down a ‘no entry’ road) off road up short walled lane. At top turn L and immediately R onto tarred lane through hamlet. After last house on R, turn R down grassy walled lane, veering L, cross road at bottom and KSO down another walled lane on other side. Turn R onto road at end and 100m later turn L down unsurfaced track. At T-junction turn R down grassy lane which > a FP, winding its way steeply down to road (again cutting out zigzgags). Turn L and KSO on road then turn R downhill. KSO. Pass turning to a small FP to L, indicating a direct route to the municipal gîte d’étape. If you are not taking this, KSO downhill into Rue des Poseurs (named after those who worked laying the railway line, open 1870), veering R and leading to the D589. Pass Mairie and veer L to cross box bridge (built by Gustave Eiffel, of tower fame, in 1888) over the river Allier into…

4km Monistrol-d’Allier 619m (30.4/707.5)

SNCF (Paris–Clermont-Ferrand–Arvant–Nîmes), Hotel-Restaurant, CH. Gîte d’étape at Centre d’Accueil, 1.5km before village on Le Puy road (04.71.57.24.14 & 04.71.57.21.21. eve, 12pl, open March–October, K). Gîte d’étape & table d’hôte ‘La Tsabone’ (04.71.06.17.23 & 06.72.57.62.43, 10-12pl, K, all year). Municipal campsite by river (1/4–15/9). Café, shop, post office. Romanesque church, former priory of La Chaise-Dieu: cross has carving of pilgrim. You are now in the region of the Margeride. Note: from Monistrol-d’Allier (619m) to the road by the Domaine de Sauvage (1292m) it is 31km of almost continuous uphill and from Monistrol to the separation with the GR412 after Montaure (6.5km) there is an ascent of 450m (nearly 1500ft): remember this when planning your next day’s walk.

Turn R on other side then L up Rue des Lombards (turn L here to visit church, then retrace your steps), veering R. Turn L at end then fork R down road at side of mill (signposted to ‘La Madeleine, La Vallete’). Cross bridge over the river Ance and then KSO, climbing very steeply. (Views over Allier gorge and beyond.) The road zigzags its way uphill, passing first a stone wayside cross and then a metal one. At metal cross turn hard L up stony track to the Chapelle de la Madeleine (20m), thought to have been a grotto originally but faced with stone and made into a chapel in the 17th century.

Then continue very steeply up for another 200m to hamlet of Escluzels, turn R and then veer R after first house, pass lavoir (L) and another métier à ferrer les boeufs to R, with four pillars with remains of leather body and head straps. Turn L uphill on road and KSO. Around 800m later road forks: KSO(L) uphill again, but after 150m turn hard L up wide forest path, short-cutting hairpins in road. Cross road at top, go up narrow path and cross road again and fork L uphill off road on other side up another forest track. Continue uphill, zigzagging steeply, to…

4km Montaure 1022m (34.5/703.5)

View over to Rochegude on opposite side of valley.

When you reach a road KSO(L) ahead (iron cross on R, tap), veer L again at junction shortly afterwards (modern concrete wayside cross on R: this is the junction with the GR412). Continue on road (L) for 300m, then turn L onto track. KSO, ignoring turns, climbing gently all the time. (Good views all round.) When you reach the hamlet of Roziers (1.9km, 1066m, tap by lavoir on entry) KSO(R) on road through village.