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Via Tolosana

The Via Tolosana or the Arles Route (French: la voie d'Arles or Chemin d'Arles) is the southern-most of the four routes through France on the pilgrimage to the tomb of St. James the Great in Santiago de Compostela in Galicia in northwest Spain. It departs from Arles and skirts the Camargue, passing through Montpellier, Saint-Guilhem-le-Desert, Toulouse, Auch, then Oloron-Sainte-Marie before climbing up the Aspe Valley to the Col du Somport in the high Pyrenees on the border between France and Spain. It becomes the Aragonese Way following the valley of the river Aragon and passes through Jaca and joins the Camino Frances at Obanos to the west, just before Puenta La Reina.

It's Latin name Via Tolosana was given because it passes through the pilgrimage destination of Toulouse.

On the network of Sentiers de Grande Randonnee (GR) the route is designated GR653 and is marked with red and white bars. In Spain it is way marked by yellow arrows.

History

The Via Tolosana is one of four routes to Santiago de Compostela referred to in Book V: A Guide for the Traveller from the Codex Calixtinus associated with the French scholar Aymeric Picaud.

The modern route

In Bouches-du-Rhone

The route departs Arles, bordering the Camargue.

In Gard

The route passes Saint-Gilles, Vauvert, Condognan, Gallargues le-Montueux,

In Herault

The route passes Baillargues, Montpellier, Saint-Guilhem-le-Desert, Lodeve, Lunas, Le Bousquet-d'Orb, Saint-Gervais-sur-Mare

In Tarn

The route passes Murat-sur-Vebre,

In Herault

It pases La Salvetat-sur-Agout

In Tarn

Angles, Castres, Dourgne, Soreze

In Haute-Garonne

Revel, Baziege, Toulouse

In Gers

L'Isle-Jourdain, Auch, Montesquiou, Marciac

In Hautes-Pyrenees

Maubourguet, Vidouze

In Pyrenees-Atlantiques

Morlaas, Pau, Lescar

In Béarn

Oloron-Sainte-Marie

Bedous

col du somport

Jaca

Ruesta

Sanguesa

Puente-la-Reina