The walk
First section of the Puy en Velay Way, this hiking trip will allow you to discover beautiful and varied landscapes: Sucs du Velay, the Allier gorges, Gévaudan and Aubrac. You will quickly gain a taste for this fabulous experience that the Way to Santiago de Compostela represents. Take the time to admire, during your days of hiking, the cultural and religious heritage and delight in the beauty of the landscapes. Then be curious and taste the local products that characterize each region crossed. Set off on this extraordinary and cosmopolitan path, where conviviality is very strong and where the landscapes pass from region to region without monotony! Compostela, a unique adventure!
Highlights
The starting point of a mythical hike.
The crossing of the Aubrac Plateau.
The amazing beauty of the Margeride's landscapes.
Itinerary
LE PUY EN VELAY
Arrival at the accomodation late in the afternoon, dinner and overnight.
LE PUY EN VELAY - ST. PRIVAT D'ALLIER 23.5km
As you leave the hotel, on the way out of Le Puy, you will have time to explore some of the old town. For example you will be able to climb the huge stairways that lead up to the cathedral (which dates from the 11th and 12th centuries). Leaving Le Puy, you will see wonderful views over the whole area. After this you will cross the Velay (a land famous for its lentils and black sheep), passing through La Roche, St Christophe sur Dolaizon, Montbonnet and then St Privat d’Allier.
S. PRIVAT D'ALLIER - SAUGUES 19km
Between these two places you will pass through widely differing types of countryside, going from the narrow stony path through Rochegude (an interesting viewpoint overlooking the depths of the Allier gorges), crossing these gorges at Monistrol (followed by an impressive climb from the Allier past the Madeleine chapel, carved out of the rock in the 17th century) and arriving on to the plateau of the Margeride before you get to Saugues.
SAUGUES - LES FAUX 29km
In this section you discover the Margeride Plateau with its characteristic villages, its secluded hamlets, its crosses and its pastures hemmed in by stone walls. Each village has charming features (for example granite houses with carved doorways, cottage gardens …). Among these are : Le Pinet, La Clauze (with its strange perched tower!), Le Falzet, Contaldès farm, the country estate of Le Sauvage, the St Roch chapel, and then, 1km off the main track, you will come to the village of Les Faux.
LES FAUX - AUMONT AUBRAC 21km
This section continues across the plateau of the Margeride as far as Aumont: the gateway to Aubrac. Between Le Rouget, St Alban and Les Estrets you will find pretty hamlets, and churches with ‘comb-style’ belfries (with a wall of belfries supporting another smaller belfry)
AUMONT AUBRAC - NASBINALS 26km
This is a long section, but not difficult. Here we leave the Margeride to cross the plateau of the Aubrac (a wide plateau full of pastures, old barns, drystone walls, and swathes of flowers – depending on the season!!). We pass through La Chaze de Peyre, Lasbros, Rieutort d’Aubrac and Montgros before arriving at NASBINALS. Here there is a superb 14th century Romanesque church built of brown basalt.
NASBINALS
End of the trip after the breakfast.
Map
Organization
SNCF Railway stations of Le Puy en Velay and Aumont Aubrac.
- Half board
- Luggage transfer between each walking stage (depending on the option chosen)
- Provision of the topo-guide (1 topo-guide per room reserved).
- Tourist tax
- The insurance
- Drinks and personal expenses
- Transfers from your home to the meeting point and dispersion
- Midday picnic
- Shuttles or taxis to collect your car or to shorten certain stages and parking costs
- Registration fees (+15 € / person)
- Shipping costs abroad (+20 € / file)
- Priority registration fees on D-15 (+45€ / file)
Return shuttle (to be reserved and paid upon registration): 35€/pers
1*, 2** and 3*** hotels or guest rooms.
Date and price
| Arrival dates | Price pp | Booking |
|---|---|---|
| 01/04/2025 to 30/10/2025 | 700 € | Booking |
