Saugues the stage of the Chemin de St Jacques de Compostelle

The Via Podensis, 1530 km long and approximately 80 days walk, is the oldest route which leads to Compostela. It departs from Puy, first passing St. Michel-l’Aiguilhe and then the Cathedral to honour the Black Madonna, the pilgrims set off from Plot square. Saugues is the third step of the route, after St. Priovat, Monistrol. A well-deserved stop after the Madeleine ascent and before heading towards the plateaus of Margeride and Aubrac.

The scallop shell, the stick, & the palmer’s staff are all symbols associated with the pilgrims.

Over 20,000 people travel this route every year and find a warm welcome and comfort in the town of Saugues. The Chemin de Saint-Jacques, or St. James’s Way, is a route that allows each person to travel and reflect at their own pace, accompanying the pilgrim with their secrets and hopes. The walk, which characterizes the pilgrimage, offers a lesson in patience and simplicity.

Irrespective of the reason for making this pilgrimage, the pilgrim is sure to be a changed person upon their arrival at Compostela.

Traditionally clothes are buried at Cap Finistière to mark the end of the pilgrimage and the beginning of a new life. One only has to pass through Saugues to understand the importance of the Via Podensis, its history, and its identity.