The GR®300 Chemin de Saint-Michel is a hiking trail which aims to connect the Rocher Saint-Michel d'Aiguilhe (near Puy-en-Velay) to Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy. For the moment, this route is only marked from Puy-en-Velay to Ebreuil in Allier.
In total, the GR®300 Chemin de Saint-Michel will be 900 km long between Saint-Michel d'Aiguilhe and Mont-Saint-Michel. This path brings back to life an ancient Jacobean path by which pilgrims from the northern part of France and even further afield once reached Le Puy-en-Velay in order to set off towards Saint-Jacques of Compostela.
TECHNICAL SHEET
GR®300 Chemin de Saint-Michel
- Departure: Le Puy-en-Velay
- Arrival: Ébreuil
- Distance: 235km
- Duration: 11 days
- Means of transport for departure: Puy-en-Velay SNCF station
- Means of transport for return: shuttle/bus
- Mobile application: MaRando – FFRandonnée
Recommended stages of the GR®300 Chemin de Saint-Michel:
- Stage 1: From Aiguilhe to Saint-Jean-de-Nay: 22 km
- Stage 2: From Saint-Jean-de-Nay to Chavaniac Lafayette: 23 km
- Stage 3: From Chavaniac Lafayette to Lavaudieu: 23 km
- Stage 4: From Lavaudieu to Auzon: 27km
- Stage 5: From Auzon to Nonette: 14 km
- Stage 6: From Nonette to Issoire: 13 km
- Stage 7: From Issoire to Montpeyroux: 19 km
- Stage 8: From Montpeyroux to Clermont-Ferrand: 27 km
- Stage 9: From Clermont-Ferrand to Marsaat: 22 km
- Stage 10: From Marsaat to Combronde: 18 km
- Stage 11: From Combronde to Ebreuil: 21 km
The Saint-Michel d’Aiguilhe rock, dizzying start
Imagine... We are 2 million years ago, a volcanic peak 82 meters high rises like an immense chimney due to the eruption. Between sky and earth, like Mont Saint-Michel, the Chapelle Saint-Michel is positioned at the top of a lava needle! It sits at the very top of this volcanic neck, this “mountain”, so special that it makes you dizzy.
268 steps have to be climbed to find yourself up there, on the edge of this building erected in the year 962. With this 360° view of the Velay landscapes; on Puy-en-Velay, starting point for pilgrims towards Saint-Jacques of Compostela.
