Via Tolosana

In short: Via Tolosana: from Arles to Somport Pass. Length: around 800 km, duration: 5 to 6 weeks. Best time: Spring and autumn.

Overview

The Via Tolosana is the southernmost of the four French routes of the Way of St James. It starts in Arles in Provence, runs through Languedoc to Toulouse and crosses the Pyrenees at the Somport Pass. From there it continues as the Camino Aragonés and joins the Camino Francés at Puente la Reina.

The route is walked less than the Via Podiensis, so the network of hostels is thinner. In return the scenery is varied, from a Mediterranean climate to the mountains. The section through the Haut-Languedoc uplands is especially lonely and demanding.

For pilgrims from southern Germany and Switzerland, the route offers an alternative to starting in Le Puy.

Main stops: Arles, Saint-Gilles, Montpellier, Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert, Toulouse, Auch, Oloron-Sainte-Marie, Somport Pass.

From Provence over the Pyrenees

The route runs as the long-distance trail GR 653 right across southern France. After Arles you pass the abbey church of Saint-Gilles and the mountain village of Saint-Guilhem-le-Désert. The Haut-Languedoc brings a few hard days before the descent to Toulouse with the Basilica of Saint-Sernin.

At the Somport you cross the Pyrenees at around 1,630 metres. This pass is only reliably free of snow from late spring.

Heat, wind and hostels

Provence and Languedoc get very hot in high summer, and the mistral can also blow hard. Go in May or September. As fewer pilgrims are on the road, there are fewer gîtes than on the Via Podiensis. You will still almost always find a bed if you call ahead.

Planning your stages

How long you need depends on your daily distance. The table works this out for 800 kilometres, with one rest day a week.

Who is this route for?

With some hiking experience this route is very manageable. Expect climbs and keep your days from getting too long.

What does the route cost?

With an albergue or simple guesthouse and one hot meal, 60 to 80 euros a day is usually enough. Over about 46 days that comes to roughly 2,750 to 3,700 euros, plus travel and gear. This is a guide figure.

You can find more routes under Pilgrimage routes in Europe, Pilgrimage in France, sorted by religion under Christian pilgrimage routes.