Two major pilgrimage footpaths cross the Pays Voironnais: the road to Santiago de Compostela and the Via Sancti Martini, here is an opportunity to rediscover the territory in a different way!
The road to Santiago de Compostela in the Pays Voironnais
Things to know on the way to Santiago de Compostela
Thousands of pilgrims set off each year on the Camino de Compostela with the aim of reaching the famous Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela. The believing Catholics of the time came to pray on the relics attributed to the apostle Saint-Jacques, today this pilgrimage is also a moment of exchange, sharing, a spiritual journey to recharge one's batteries.
The itinerary with us
From Geneva, the portion of the road to Santiago de Compostela which joins the Voie du Puy-en-Velay (GR65), is 360 km and can be covered in 18 days. Part of this journey crosses the Pays Voironnais from north to south for 24km crisscrossing the hills between the municipalities of Abrets and Oyeu and passing near Lake Paladru.
The Camino de Santiago in Pays Voironnais
The route map
Between Geneva and Le Puy-en-Velay, the portion crossing the Pays Voironnais is drawn in blue. The signposting of the Compostela path is marked by a yellow shell on a blue background, in Pays Voironnais you can also follow the markup of the GR (white and red) which takes the same route.
Source: Puy-en-Velay tourist office
The Via Sancti Martini in the Pays Voironnais
Things to know about Via Sancti Martini
The Via Sancti Martini connects the European cities which shared the life of Saint Martin of Tours in the 2500th century. Several paths relate episodes from the life of Saint Martin of Tours, who was a great traveler and universal figure of sharing. The Szombathely Path, which runs through Europe from east to west, is the XNUMX km route, linking the birthplace of Saint-Martin in Hungary (Szombathely) to Tours where his tomb is located.
The itinerary with us, from the Pays Voironnais to the Vals du Dauphiné
New for 2024, the Pays Voironnais and the Vals du Dauphiné offer you a journey from station to station (Pont-de-Beauvoisin to Val-de-Virieu) to be done over 2 days. You walk the paths and enjoy the landscapes offering numerous panoramas of the Pre-Alps and Mont-Blanc, small hamlets, fortified houses and castles with the adobe architecture characteristic of Bas Dauphiné, green nature, meadows hilly areas or the lagoon blue waters of Lake Paladru.
The itinerary based on values of sharing and exchange is an opportunity to discover the heritage, local products, and know-how of the territory, while encouraging rich and friendly encounters.
Via Sancti Martini in Isère
The route map in Isère
The Via Sancti Martini crosses Isère from Pontcharra to Vienne, with a Savoyard section passing through Corbel. In blue on the map, here is the portion crossing the Pays Voironnais. The marking of the Via Sancti Martini is marked by two lines of red and green paint or by the step of Saint-Martin which symbolizes the gesture of sharing.
To find out more about the Via Sancti Martini and these paths, go to the website viasanctimartini.org.
Image source: Christophe Bonté, Régine Bordeau, Hubert More
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