Le Puy en Velay - PermAdventure

On our way from one work exchange location to another in southern(ish) France, we enjoyed a day of pure sightseeing in the city Le Puy-en-Velay.

According to About-France.com it was in Le Puy en Velay that many of the early pilgrims gathered for the start of the arduous journey to the shrine of Santiago de Compostella, the great medieval pilgrimage destination in Spain. The first pilgrimages set out from Le Puy in the late tenth century, and during the Middle Ages, the city became a major religious centre, the great starting point for one of the major Compostella pilgrimage routes, the Via Podiensis.

While the idea of trekking to Santiago faded away for centuries after the Middle Ages, becoming a task only to be undertaken by the very devoted or (fool)hardy, it is now well back in fashion. Today, Le Puy has returned to its important position as the starting point for the greatest European pilgrimage route, a hiking trail of over 1000 km undertaken each year, in whole or in part, by many thousands of pilgrims or hikers.

Have a look at our photos from this charming city below!

Luxury for me is visiting a sunny park in December

Swan

Impressive trees

Arch in a park

Cute goats enclosed in the park

Such a beauty! Strange seeing animals enclosed, though.

Window shopping – gathering inspiration for crafts projects

Window shopping – gathering inspiration for crafts projectsBizarre/artsy window display at a hairdresser

My kind of art!

The great iron statue of Notre Dame de France overlooking Le Puy

Water fountain

Shutters with hearts <3

Charming colourful narrow streets

Charming colourful narrow streets decorated for Christmas

Charming pastel coloured houses

Pastel coloured houses

The happy window shopper found herself an antique bookstore

Le Petit Journal from 17th of May 1908 showing suffragettes seizing a ballot box. France was one of the last countries in the West to recognize female suffrage (women’s right to vote), in 1944!

Window shopping!

Awesome photo displayed at the antique bookstore

Jean showing the scale of the buildings

Adorable lace work, typical for Le Puy

Charming French sign

Street view

The twelfth century Notre Dame Cathedral

View from the twelfth century Notre Dame Cathedral

Sculpture at the entrance of the twelfth century Notre Dame Cathedral

“Join our volunteer teams to help those who are lonely and destitute near you. They need you!”

Do you think your façade lacks windows? Paint them on!

Windows

The great iron statue of Notre Dame de France, greeting us with locked gates. Guess we’ll check out the view another time!

The only way to reach the 10th century chapel of Saint Michel de l’Aiguilhe is up 268 steps. Closed on Sundays. Guess we’ll check out this view another time as well!