I Love Walking In France

(Published November 2017, last updated February 2026) Forty-two days of walking through southern France along the Chemin de Saint-Jacques from Le Puy-en-Velay to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port.

(Published September 2020, last updated March 2026) When Scottish author, Robert Louis Stevenson, left the village of Le Monastier-sur-Gazeille in September 1878, with only his two feet and his donkey Modestine to carry him south, he could not have imagin…

(Published May 2014, last updated March 2026) The nine-day walk from Martel to Rocamadour weaves through 127 kilometres (80 miles) of glorious French countryside.

(Published July 2013, last updated March 2026) Toulouse is a favourite destination for many visitors to France.

(Published July 2017, last updated February 2026) From rugged headlands and dramatic cliffs, to swathes of dancing wildflowers, wide sandy beaches and quaint fishing ports—this 160-kilometre (100-mile) walk from Camaret-sur-Mer to Audierne following the G…

(Published August 2013, last updated February 2026) Two hundred and forty kilometres (150 miles) of flat, easy walking, rural scenery, small villages, historical splendour—it’s not hard to find a good reason to walk (or cycle) along the Burgundy Canal (al…

(Published June 2014, last updated February 2026) One of the bonuses of venturing off the freeway and out into the French countryside is the likelihood that you’ll find yourself in one of the picturesque villages which have earned their classification amo…

(Published November 2015, last updated April 2026) Each time I visit Le Puy-en-Velay, I find something else about it to love and it is now one of my favourite places to visit in France.

(Published July 2024, last updated March 2026) Founded in the eleventh century, Martel was once the capital and commercial hub of the Turenne region.

(Published July 2023, last updated April 2026) A little over 60 kilometres (almost 40 miles) beyond Le Puy-en-Velay, the Chemin de Saint-Jacques de Compostelle reaches the gîte at Le Sauvage, considered by many as a ‘must-do’ overnight stop.

(Published July 2013, last updated June 2026) Long ago in the fifteenth century, before France was united under one king, this corner of France was ruled by the Dukes of Burgundy, who were based here in Dijon.

(Published August 2013, last updated April 2026) The view of the church tower surrounded by ancient stone houses in the tiny village of Aubrac never fails to set my heart aflutter!

(Published April 2013, last updated March 2026) Clinging precariously to the side of a cliff high above the Alzou gorge, the sacred city of Rocamadour is a breath-taking sight.

(Published October 2016, last updated April 2026) A recent addition to the ranks of France’s most beautiful villages, Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port is a delightful note on which to end a long-distance walk along the Chemin de Saint-Jacques du-Puy.

(Published March 2013, last updated June 2026) Known as la Ville Rose for the beautiful red brick buildings lining the streets, Toulouse is the fourth largest city in France and the starting point of a long-distance walk—or a boating holiday—along the Midi