French Route

The French Route or "Camino Francés" is the part of the Way of Saint James that links Roncesvalles and Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port with Santiago de Compostela. Of all the mediaeval routes across the Iberian Peninsula that lead to Santiago de Compostela, the so-called "French Route" is the most important. The name comes from the fact that this was the route taken by the French or other foreigners to enter Spain.

It is currently the most important and most popular of the Way of Saint James pilgrimage routes, since it is taken by approximately 85% of the pilgrims who travel along the different Way of Saint James routes. The route can be completed on foot in around 30 stages, or in a dozen stages by bike.

Four European pilgrimage routes converge in the South of France, in Ostabat, very near to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. The French Route is a continuation of this convergence. After crossing the Pyrenees, this route runs on for 775 km after the border, crossing four autonomous communities and seven provinces: Navarra, La Rioja, Castilla y León (Burgos, Palencia, León), and Galicia (Lugo, La Coruña). These provinces contain an enormous cultural heritage. Along this route, there are eight cathedrals, as well as numerous Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance churches, and a series of splendid civil buildings. Also worthy of note are the engineering works built to facilitate the pilgrims journey, such as roads, numerous bridges, etc. In addition to this, a large number of the towns and villages that lie on the Route actually owe their origin to the Way of Saint James.