spirituality and hikeOn the Santiago de Compostela trail

On the Santiago de Compostela trail

In Montpellier, rather than being guided by Tom Thumb’s pebbles, there are 300 bronze markers set the ground by the municipality to mark the Santiago de Compostela route.

Getting there

A step on Santiago de Compostela route

In Montpellier, rather than being guided by Tom Thumb’s pebbles, there are 300 bronze markers set the ground by the municipality to mark the Santiago de Compostela route. The city is a stop on the Santiago di Compostela trail. Since the beginning of the 11th century, Compostela, a village in Galicia, has been the supposed resting place of Santiago’s tomb.

There are four pilgrim trails to Galicia, the most southern, the Voie d’Arles, passes through Saint-Gilles and its abbey, the Abbey of Gellone and the Pont du Diable (the Devil’s Bridge).

The Santiago route is now travelled by believers and numerous hikers.

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On the trail of the Camin roumieu in Montpellier

So, keep your eyes open near the Corum, the Convention centre at the end of the Esplanade Charles-de-Gaulle, or in the Rue de la Loge, which leads from the Place de la Comédie to the Arc de Triomphe.

See if you find the markers, but don’t forget to enjoy the charms of the pedestrian town centre and its beautiful shops. For here is a perfect opportunity to combine shopping with the admiration of cultural heritage !

DID YOU KNOW? THE PIÉMONT PYRÉNÉEN TRAIL

Less well known than the Voie d’Arles, the 748km long GR®78 route through the Pyrenean Piedmont is one of the most secret of the “chemins jacquaires”.

It links Montpellier to Saint-Jean-Pied de-Port in the Basque Country.

An itinerary of water, mountains, vineyards and old stones. It’s an intimate, discreet route through sumptuous landscapes, hidden from view and the noise of the world.

Accessible by public transport: The Pyrenean Piedmont trail is easily accessible by train/bus.
– You can reach it or leave it from the 12 stations in : Montpellier, Béziers, Carcassonne, Mirepoix, Pamiers, Saint-Girons, Buzy, Oloron-Sainte-Marie and Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port.

How to organize Your day-trip to Montpellier ?

To find your way

If you are on your way to Santiago de Compostela, credentials can be obtained from the Tourist Office at Place de la Comédie or at the Sanctuary of St Roch.

Access to the city centre

For easy access to the city centre, you can take tram 2 from Castelnau le Lez and get off at the “Corum” station.

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To return to the route

After discovering the Ecusson, take the tramway to Euromédecine station and then board bus 24 in the direction of Grabels to return to the marked path.

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BEST WESTERN HOTEL LE GUILHEM

Close to the Botanical garden, Place of Canourgue and Place of Peyrou , the Hotel Guilhem proposes the harmonious comfort of a residence of XVI century renovated with...

HOTEL COLISEE VERDUN **

The Hotel Colisée Verdun is ideally located in the heart of the pedestrian zone and the historic center of Montpellier. You will be a 2-minute walk from Saint-Roch train...

Focus on... Saint Roch, a pilgrim among pilgrims

Saint Roch has been invoked throughout Europe since the 15th century against plague epidemics.

This saint, born in Montpellier (at n°19 of the current rue de la Loge), is often represented in his pilgrim’s outfit, with a bumblebee in his hand, and is often confused with St James.

However, he is distinguished by the presence of a plague bubo on his thigh and a dog at his side, holding a piece of bread in its mouth. Legend has it that on his pilgrimage to Rome, he crossed Italy, which was then in the grip of a plague epidemic. He is said to have treated and cured many plague victims and then contracted the disease himself on the way back. Isolated in a wood, a dog fed him during his illness.

A pilgrimage is dedicated to him every year on 16 August in Montpellier.