Camino Le Puy Way: Stage 4

Arrive in Cahors and settle in to your comfortable hotel. Spend some time looking around this town in order to discover it’s rich historical heritage. Explore the Cathedral of St-Etienne with its amazing cloisters, several interesting churches and the Pont Valentré, the finest fortified medieval bridge in Europe.

Cross the medieval bridge of Pont Valentré and climb the staircase to the cross of Pech d’Angely from which you can take your last look at Cahors before setting off on the trail to Labastide-Marnhac. Continue along uplands and through woodlands passing the hamlet of Baffalie before arriving in Lascabanes, a prosperous village. Walk along a roman road and past the forest chapel of St Jean before arriving in Montcuq, to today’s destination.

Spend time this morning exploring the distinctive fortess in Montcuq and then head towards Rouillac which you pass on your right hand side. Emerge briefly onto an open plateau before arriving in Montlauzen and into the department of Tarn et Garonne. Lauzerte is next, a bastide hill town dating from the 12th century. See it’s medieval houses and two churches, one of which has a modern statue of St James as a pilgrim inside. Cross three bridges, then pass a dovecote and the Church of Saint-Sermin-du-Bosc which was restored in 1991 and onwards to Durfort.

Upon leaving Durfort (which surprisingly has no church) you will walk under the branches of apricot and plum trees. If you are walking in the correct season you will be able to pick some for lunch. Locals also put out big jugs of cold water along the route for travellers and pilrgrims, which you can stop and drink when you are thirsty. Then descend to a stream and walk up to a ridge before arriving in Moissac which is dominated by it’s Abbey Church of St Pierre.

This morning the trail takes you along the River Tarn, cross a lockgate and then continues onto Boudou, from which there is a viewpoint over the surrounding countryside. Next walk through the hamlet of Timbrune before arriving in the delightful village of Auvillar which has a charming cobblestone plaza and a medieval circular market. This town overlooks the River Garonne and is classified as one of France’s Most Beautiful Villages.

As you depart from Auvillar walk along the Rue de l’Horloge and under the archway beneath the clock. Entering the Gers region you then walk through the quaint villages of Bardigues, St Antoine, and Flamarens where you can see its12th century castle, part of which was destroyed by fire in 1945. The undulating countryside in this area consists mainly of cornfields and row upon row of sunflowers. After a picnic lunch and perhaps some refreshments in a local café you arrive into Miradoux, the oldest bastide in the Gers.

Today is your final day of walking through these beautiful and ancient rural routes of France. Depart from Miradoux this morning and walk past the Chateaux de Fieux and then Castet Arrouy, which means red castle and originally the site of a small fort. Continue past the church and walk along grassy tracks, through farms and past a very large wayside cross before arriving in Lectoure. As today is a relatively short walking day you should have time to explore this town which was once an important stopping point on this pilgrimage route. It sits high above the Gers River and has a 15th century cathedral built after Louis XI destroyed the previous one. It's also a striking tower with a round turret attached to the bell-tower.

Bid farewell to the Camino Le Puy today. After breakfast check out of your hotel and make your onward journey.