The Way of Tours – Via Turonensis

From the towers of Notre-Dame de Paris, pilgrims have set out for Santiago de Compostela since the Middle Ages, following the Way of Tours through the heart of France. This northernmost of the four great French routes passes through Orléans, Tours, and Bordeaux before crossing the Pyrenees to join the Camino Francés.

📜 History & Significance

The Via Turonensis takes its name from Tours, the city of St Martin, whose basilica drew countless medieval pilgrims. Martin of Tours, the Roman soldier who shared his cloak with a beggar, became one of the most venerated saints in Western Christianity. His tomb made Tours a pilgrimage destination in its own right, and the route to Santiago naturally passed through this holy city.

The Codex Calixtinus, the 12th-century pilgrim's guide, describes the Via Turonensis as the route from Paris, passing through the shrines of saints whose relics drew pilgrims southward. UNESCO inscribed the route as part of the World Heritage "Routes of Santiago de Compostela in France" in 1998.

🥾 Route Overview

The Via Turonensis stretches approximately 930 km from Paris to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, typically completed in 35-40 days of walking. The route follows the GR 655 waymarked trail through relatively flat terrain until reaching the foothills of the Pyrenees.

From Paris, the path heads south through Orléans and the Loire Valley to Tours. Continuing through Poitiers and Saintes, it reaches Bordeaux before the final stages through the Landes forest to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, where pilgrims cross into Spain.

☩ Key Pilgrimage Sites

The Basilica of St Martin in Tours, rebuilt in the 19th century over the saint's tomb, remains the spiritual heart of the route. In Poitiers, the baptistry of Saint-Jean is one of the oldest Christian buildings in France.

The route passes through Saintes, with its Romanesque abbey church of Sainte-Marie-aux-Dames, and Bordeaux, whose Cathedral of Saint-André welcomed generations of pilgrims. Each stage offers churches and hospices that served medieval travelers.