Le Puy-en-Velay is the prefecture and main town of the Haute-Loire department, in Auvergne, 150 km south-west from Lyon. It is an old town with legendary history, historically an important pilgrimage destination, and still a main starting point for the St. James' Way.
Understand
[edit]Get in
[edit]By car
[edit]Le Puy is on two national roads:
- N88 from Lyon via Saint-Étienne (from the north-east) or from Lozère (from the south)
- N102 from Clermont-Ferrand and Puy-de-Dôme (from the north-west)
Regional road D130 follows the Loire valley from Saint-Étienne.
By train
[edit]There are ten daily services from Saint-Étienne via Retournac, five from Clermont-Ferrand, via Brioude and Arvanc, with transfer from Toulouse
- 1 Gare du Puy-en-Velay, Place Maréchal Leclerc, toll-free: +33 3635.
By plane
[edit]Two daily services from Paris.
- 2 Le Puy – Loudes Airport (LPY IATA) (near Loudes, 12 km from Puy-en-Velay), ☏ +33 4 71 086228, toll-free: +33 8 10 182292.
Get around
[edit]
Map of Le Puy-en-Velay
As a road transportation hub, the town is often congested. Walking is a more practical solution.
There is adequate bus transport. As of 2015 a 1-hr ticket costs €1.30, a 24-hr ticket €3.
- 3 Tudip, Agence commerciale, 6 rue Pierret, ☏ +33 4 71 026011.
See
[edit]- 1 Le Puy Cathedral (Cathédrale Notre-Dame-de-l'Annonciation). Parts of the cathedral, probably built on a former pagan site, stem from the 5th century, although most of the present cathedral was built in the 12th century. Charlemagne made the pilgrimage to Le Puy twice. There is a copy (the original is destroyed) of an ivory image of Virgin Mary brought from the Holy Land by Saint Louis, king of France. Each morning pilgrims starting their journey to Santiago de Compostela gather in the cathedral to be blessed.
- 2 Statue de Notre-Dame de France.
- 3 Saint Michel d'Aiguilhe. Chapel on a 85 m (279 ft) high volcanic plug.
- 4 Église du Collége.
- 5 Église Saint-Laurent.
Do
[edit]- 1 Musée Crozatier. Art and archaeological artifacts from Velay and the Haute-Loire region.
- 2 Jardin Henri-Vinay. Free.
- 3 .