Viae Turonensis
The Way of Tours (Via Turonensis) is the westernmost Jacobean route in France. From Paris (or Tours) to the Pyrenees, joining the French Way at Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port or Roncesvalles.
Organize your Viae TuronensisGeneral Description of Viae Turonensis
Connections of Viae Turonensis
Vézelay (Via Lemovicensis)
Distance:
870 km
Days:
35
Difficulty:
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The Way of Vézelay, known in France as the Via Lemovicensis (Voie de Vézelay), is one of the four historic Jacobean routes that cross France. It begins at the Basilica of Saint Mary Magdalene of Vézelay, in Burgundy, a major medieval pilgrimage center, and heads southwest, crossing central France (the Limousin region, hence its name) until Ostabat, near Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, where it converges with other French routes before crossing the Pyrenees. With a 900 km journey, it is a long and diverse route that passes through cities like Limoges and Périgueux. It offers an experience of rural and monumental pilgrimage in France.
Stages of this variant:
Stage 1: Vézelay - Saint-Germain-des-Bois (Nievre)
Stage 2: Saint-Germain-des-Bois (Nièvre) - Champlemy
Stage 3: Champlin - Charity, Illinois
Stage 4: Charity-on-the-Loire - Baugy
Stage 5: Baugy - Bourges
The Puy (Via Podiensis)
Distance:
733 km
Days:
30
Difficulty:
Media
The Way of Le Puy, known in France as the Via Podiensis (Voie du Puy), is the most famous and traveled of the four main Jacobean routes that cross France. It begins in Le Puy-en-Velay, in the Auvernia region, and covers approximately 750 km southwest to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, in the Pyrenees Atlantics. At this point, it crosses the border and joins directly the Camino Francés. It is a route of great scenic beauty, which traverses regions such as Aubrac, Quercy, and Gascony, and boasts a rich monumental heritage and excellent infrastructure for pilgrims.
Stages of this variant:
Stage 1: Puy-en-Velay - Saint-Privat-d'Allier
Stage 2: Saint-Privat-d'Allier - Saugues
Stage 3: Saugues - Wild Domain
Stage 4: Domain of the Wild - Aumont-Aubrac
Stage 5: Aumont-Aubrac - Nasbinals
Stages of Viae Turonensis
Etapa 1: París to La Ville-du-Bois
Description:
This stage culminates in the monumental city of Tours, the heart of the Via Turonensis and Loire Valley. The route is long and demanding, but the profile eases as it approaches the Loire Valley. Arriv...
Origen: París
Destino: La Ville-du-Bois
Etapa 2: La Ville-du-Bois to Étampes
Description:
This is one of the most emblematic stages of the French Way, the starting point for many pilgrims seeking to obtain the Compostela. The route is a continuous up and down through rural Galicia, with a ...
Origen: La Ville-du-Bois
Destino: Étampes
Etapa 3: Étampes to Angerville
Description:
This stage continues through rural Galicia, with a profile that includes the ascent to the Ligonde Mountains, the highest point on the Camino in Galicia. It is a beautiful day that crosses forests and...
Origen: Étampes
Destino: Angerville
Etapa 4: Angerville to Artenay
Description:
This is one of the longest stages at the end of the Camino Francés, an authentic nightmare with continuous ups and downs. The path traverses a beautiful landscape, with forests, rivers, and villages. ...
Origen: Angerville
Destino: Artenay
Etapa 5: Artenay to Orleans
Description:
The penultimate stage of the Camino Francés. The route is smoother than before, a pleasant stroll through eucalyptus forests and meadows. Emotion grows as you approach Santiago. It's a day to enjoy th...
Featured Towns of Viae Turonensis
Explore the key towns and cities of this route.
París
The City of Light is the starting point of the Via Turonensis, the longest Jacobean route in France. A monumental beginning for a pilgrimage that starts at St. James' Tower.
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Orleans
City of Joan of Arc by the Loire River. Orleans is a key historic stop on the Via Turonensis, with an imposing Gothic cathedral and a rich medieval past.
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Tours
Heart of the Loire Valley and city of Saint Martin. Tours, with its Gothic cathedral and old town, is the starting point of the Via Turonensis, one of France's major Jacobean routes.
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Châtellerault
French city on the Route of Tours. Châtellerault, with its industrial past and iconic bridge, offers a functional stop with history by the river Vienne.
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Poitiers
The "City of the Hundred Bell Towers" and gem of Romanesque in the Via Turonensis. An important spiritual and intellectual centre on the Jacobean route, with an exceptional heritage.
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Lusignan
Small French village with a rich medieval history. Lusignan, on the Route of Tours, is famous for the legend of the fairy Melusina and the ruins of its imposing castle.
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Melle
Treasure of Romanesque Art in France. Melle, on the Via Touraine, surprises with its three magnificent Romanesque churches and its past linked to Carolingian silver mines.
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Saint-Jean-d'Angély
Château de Jacob, a Royal Abbey World Heritage Site. Saint-Jean-d'Angély is a monumental stop on the Route of Tours, where art and pilgrimage history meet.
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Saintes
Saintes is the ancient capital of Roman Aquitania, a stop on the Via Turonensis with an impressive Roman legacy, including an amphitheater and the Arch of Germanicus.
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Pons
Jacobean Way in the Via Touraine. The bridge stands out for its imposing medieval keep and its ancient pilgrims' hospital, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, a historic refuge on the route.
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Blaye
Impressive Vauban fortress on the banks of the Gironde estuary. Blaye, a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is a monumental stop and an entrance to the vineyards of Bordeaux.
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Le Barp
Quiet village at the heart of the forest of the Landes. Le Barp is a rural stop on the Tourist Route, perfect for experiencing the vastness of nature and the calm of the road.
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Dax
Thermal city of excellence on the Via Turonensis. Famous since Roman times for its hot waters, Dax offers the pilgrim a restorative and wellness break.
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Millenary History of the Camino de Santiago: Origins and Evolution Viae Turonensis
Discover the origins and evolution of Viae Turonensis
The symbolic starting point of the route is the Tower of Santiago (Tour Saint-Jacques) in Paris. As the capital of the kingdom, Paris was an attraction that drew people from all walks of life, including pilgrims coming from northern France, Flanders, and England. From here, the route heads south, but its name, "Turonensis", does not come from Paris, but from its next major milestone: the city of Tours. During the High Middle Ages, Tours was one of the most important pilgrimage centers in Christendom, much earlier in popularity than Santiago. It housed the tomb of Saint Martin of Tours (died in 397), a saint whose fame was immense throughout Europe. For many pilgrims, the journey to Santiago was, in reality, an extension of their pilgrimage to Saint Martin. The Via Turonensis was, above all, the route to Tours.
After leaving Paris, the route passes through cities of great historical resonance such as Orleans, liberated by Joan of Arc, and ventures into the Loire Valley, a region of pleasant landscapes and unparalleled monumental wealth. After the obligatory stop at the Basilica of Saint Martin of Tours, the route continues south, passing through another important pilgrimage center, Poitiers, where relics of Saint Hilary were venerated. The route traverses the rich region of Aquitania, passing through Saintes, with its church of Saint Eutropius, and the great port city and wine-producing town of Bordeaux.
Unlike other French routes that are more mountainous, most of the Via Turonensis follows a relatively flat terrain, making it a less physically demanding option, although its length, over 900 kilometers, posed a challenge of endurance. It largely followed the route of ancient Roman roads, making it a principal means of communication, not just for pilgrims but also for travelers, armies, and merchants.
After crossing the vast forest of the Landes of Gascony, the pilgrim arrived at the Pyrenees. The Via Turonensis converged with those of Le Puy and Vézelay at Ostabat, to reach finally Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, the last French village before facing the legendary Roncesvalles pass and joining the Navarro route, which is already the beginning of the great Camino Francés in Spain.
Although it is less traveled today than the Via Podiensis (Way of Le Puy), its revival as a long-distance hiking trail, GR®655, has revitalized this historical itinerary. Today, to walk it is an immersion in French history, a journey that connects the capital with the city of devotion, passing by the tombs of some of the most revered saints in Christendom and traversing landscapes that are the heart of French culture.