The six pilgrims’ routes through Aquitaine

This picturesque route passes through the vineyards of Aquitaine.

Along the way:

- The town of Blaye, known today for its Citadel built by Vauban, was already famous back in the 10th century thanks to the Song of Roland which mentions it as the final resting place of its hero.
- Bordeaux boasts some important monuments linked to the pilgrimage, including the Basilica of Saint Seurin, Saint André Cathedral and the Basilica of Saint Michel. Other, more discreet traces are also to be found around the city: Rue de la Coquille (the scallop shell is the symbol of Compostella), Rue Saint James, which has pointed the way to Compostella for 800 years now, or the Cross of Saint Genès showing the way to pilgrims.
- The Benedictine Abbey of La Sauve Majeur dates back to the 11th century and was an important stage along the route to Compostella.
- The Abbey Church of Sorde-l’Abbaye boasts a magnificent Romanesque doorway, superb sculpted capitals and a choir decorated by a beautiful Romanesque mosaic. 
- Finally, Ostabat is the point where the main routes to Compostella meet, with the "Stele of Gibraltar" on the hill of Saint-Sauveur in Saint-Palais pointing the way.

This coastal route is a little special in that cycle tracks have been laid out over the whole 550 km, taking contemporary pilgrims through the dunes and alongside coastal lakes renowned for their bird life, all the way to the Spanish border..

Along the way:

- Soulac-sur-Mer has preserved remarkable remains of the Church of Notre-Dame-de-la-Fin-des-Terres which was engulfed by sand in the 16th century and then uncovered and renovated in the 19th century.
- Mimizan boasts the oldest statue of the Apostle in France, a 12th-century polychrome statue, as well as the porch-bell tower of the former Abbey which is listed by UNESCO.
- The splendid Gothic Cathedral of Sainte-Marie in Bayonne is a rare example in the south of France of this architectural style that is typical of the north of the country.

This route was already famous back in medieval times for its rich cultural and architectural heritage.

Along the way:

- Périgueux has kept many edifices from medieval times in what is now known as the Puy-Saint-Front district, such as the Cathedral of Saint Front founded in 1047, a magnificent example of Byzantine-Romanesque art.
- The square in front of Bazas Cathedral, lined with old houses and archways, and the Cathedral itself make this a key stage along the route.
- The Abbey Church of Saint-Sever is a Romanesque building constructed in or around the year 1000; and its 150 column capitals are proof of the know-how of the sculptors of the time.
- Orthez, formerly the capital of Béarn for two centuries, used to protect the pilgrims. The Tour Moncade was part of its defences.
- Ostabat is the meeting point between the main routes to Compostella. The way forward is indicated by the "Stele of Gibraltar" on the hill of Saint-Sauveur in Saint-Palais.
- The Porte Saint-Jacques is the gateway to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. The Rue de la Citadelle is still lined with inns and accommodation for pilgrims today.

It is on this route that visitors can follow the 22km section from Aroue to Ostabat included by UNESCO on its World Heritage List as natural heritage.

Along the way:

- Aire-sur-l’Adour houses, in the Romanesque crypt of its abbey church, the tomb of Saint Quitterie, a Paleochristian sarcophagus in white marble dating back to the 3rd or 4th century.
- The fortified town of Navarrenx became the first bastion fortress in France in the 16th century. The Church of Saint-Germain, a listed historic monument, is a beautiful example of Gothic architecture.
- The Romanesque Church of the Hôpital-Saint-Blaise, with its Muslim influences, is all that remains of a former hospital.

The Arles route is the oldest of the routes to Compostella and the only one that does not converge with the others in the Basque Country. It heads due south through the Aspe Valley and crosses the Pyrenees at the Col du Somport.

Along the way:

- In Oloron-Sainte-Marie, the Romanesque doorway of Sainte Marie Cathedral is an exceptional work dating back to the 12th century. The lower part depicts scenes of a feast, a reminder of the gastronomic specialities of the region.
- Before crossing the Pyrenees, the Hospitalet de Borce is a place of refuge and meditation, as well as an eco-museum retracing the history of the pilgrimage.

 

 

 

This is a secondary itinerary that passes through the beautiful region of the "gaves" ("rivers" in local patois).

Along the way:

- The magnificent Bétharam Bridge in the village of Lestelle-Bétharram is the oldest known crossing of the Gave de Pau, used by pilgrims on their way from Lourdes.