Via Adresca (Montélimar)

At a Glance

• Start / Finish: Montélimar, church of Saint-James (87 m) → Le Puy-en-Velay (624 m), start of the Via Podiensis
• Length: 141.2 km
• Duration: 7 stages
• Elevation: ↗ 3,423 m / ↘ 2,886 m
• Highest point: 1,298 m at km 96.3, near Les Rudelles on the plateau between Sainte-Eulalie and Le Béage
• Landscape: the Rhône valley, the vineyards and limestone hills of the Bas-Vivarais, the chestnut forests of the Bourges gorge, the nearly treeless volcanic plateau around Mézenc and the Gerbier de Jonc at about 1,200 meters, and finally the Loire valley at Coubon
• Waymarking: yellow arrow on a blue background from Saint-James to Le Teil; from Le Teil to Le Monastier no published pilgrim waymarking, so bring a GPS track; from Le Monastier on, the red-and-white blazes of the GR 70
• Traces of St. James: in Montélimar, the church of Saint-James with its St. James window from 1960 and the former pilgrim hospital in the Faubourg Saint-James; at the finish, the cathedral of Le Puy
• Accommodation: hotels in the Rhône valley, in Aubenas and Vals-les-Bains; in the highlands only a few gîtes and chambres d'hôtes, so be sure to call ahead
• Connecting routes: in Le Teil, the Via Rhodana to Arles; in Le Puy, the Via Podiensis as well as the end of the Via Adresca, the Via Gebennensis and Trier – Le Puy
• Best time: mid-May to mid-October; snow often lingers on the plateau well into spring
• Associations along the way: whole route: Association Rhône-Alpes des Amis de Saint-Jacques

Overview

Most pilgrims who set out from Montélimar head south. The ARA's route description sends them across the Rhône to Le Teil and from there along the Via Rhodana to Arles, 1,813 kilometers to Santiago. This route takes the other direction from the very same Rhône bridge: west, into the Ardèche and uphill. It trades the plain for the mountains and arrives in Le Puy, the town from which Bishop Godescalc set out for Santiago in 950, the first pilgrim from beyond the Pyrenees known to us by name.

Along the way you pass through three landscapes. First the Bas-Vivarais with lavender, wine and the Roman town of Alba-la-Romaine, then the narrow green valleys around Aubenas and Vals-les-Bains, and finally the high plateau where the Loire rises. You start at 87 meters and five days later stand at almost 1,300. The Rhône flows into the Mediterranean, the Loire into the Atlantic, and you cross the watershed between them, heading toward the Atlantic.

Other Names

Via Adresca (Montélimar) is a working name used by Camino Ninja. We name feeder routes after the main route, with their starting point in parentheses. The name Via Adresca is used here for two reasons: the ARA files the trails through Aubenas under its "Chemin vert," the green way, which also includes the Via Adresca; and this route does what the Via Adresca does, leading out of the Rhône valley through the Vivarais to Le Puy. It only touches the Via Adresca itself at the finish.

The ARA's Drôme delegation calls the first section the "bretelle de Montélimar," a link route from Saint-James to Le Teil, eight kilometers long. And the church's name isn't English, by the way: "Saint-James" is the Occitan form of Saint-Jacques.

Who It's Ideal For—and Who It's Not So Ideal For

This route is ideal for you if you like quiet uplands and don't mind going days without meeting another pilgrim. It also suits you if you're heading to Le Puy from the south or from the Rhône valley and would rather walk through the Ardèche than along the industrial valley. If you value train stations along the way, you'll find them only in Montélimar and Le Puy.

Honestly, though, it's not for you if you expect a waymarked pilgrim trail with pilgrim hostels. From Le Teil on there is no published route description and no pilgrim waymarking; you navigate by GPS track. On the plateau between Burzet and Le Monastier there are more than 40 kilometers with very few beds, shops and bus stops. And between Burzet and Sagnes-et-Goudoulet you climb about 700 meters in a single day.

Route & Landscape

From Montélimar to Vals-les-Bains (km 0–57.2): From Saint-James you walk to the Roubion, follow its bank for 2.5 kilometers, then continue along the Rhône canal and the towpath to the Rhône bridge. According to the ARA, you should cross it on the left-hand side for safety reasons. In Le Teil (km 9.8) you meet the Via Rhodana and walk about three kilometers with it, between km 8.7 and 11.9 on Camino Ninja. Then it turns south and you turn west, through vineyards and garrigue to Alba-la-Romaine (km 22.2). Via Saint-Jean-le-Centenier you climb to Mirabel (km 37.4) at over 500 meters, descend to Lussas, continue via Saint-Privat and Ucel to Aubenas (km 50.9) and through the Ardèche valley to Vals-les-Bains (km 57.2).

From Vals-les-Bains to Le Puy (km 57.2–141.2): Beyond Vals you follow the valley of the Bourges via Chirols and Saint-Pierre-de-Colombier to Burzet (km 77.7). Then comes the big climb: eleven kilometers up to 1,225 meters at Sagnes-et-Goudoulet. Up top the landscape is wide and almost treeless: pastures, broom, volcanic cones. Sainte-Eulalie (km 93.3) lies on the young Loire, the Gerbier de Jonc about four kilometers east of the trail. Via Les Rudelles, the highest point, you reach Le Béage (km 102.4) and descend via Présailles to Le Monastier-sur-Gazeille (km 120.9). The last 20 kilometers via Le Mont, Archinaud and Coubon on the Loire are a stage of the GR 70, just walked in reverse.

Stages, Terrain, and Difficulty

The seven stages are a suggestion by Camino Ninja, placed at towns with accommodation. Distances are taken from the Camino Ninja map, calibrated exactly to 141.2 km.

1. Montélimar → Alba-la-Romaine (22.2 km) — across the Rhône to Le Teil, a short stretch on the Via Rhodana, then through vineyards to the Roman town.
2. Alba-la-Romaine → Lussas (19.3 km) — up to Mirabel with views over the Coiron plateau, down into the wine country of Lussas.
3. Lussas → Vals-les-Bains (15.7 km) — short, leaving time for Aubenas and its castle.
4. Vals-les-Bains → Burzet (20.5 km) — through the valley of the Bourges, chestnut trees and dry-stone walls.
5. Burzet → Sainte-Eulalie (15.6 km) — the climb onto the plateau, about 700 meters of ascent.
6. Sainte-Eulalie → Le Monastier-sur-Gazeille (27.6 km) — over the highest point and through the highlands via Le Béage; can be split at Le Béage (9.1 km) or Présailles if you find a bed there.
7. Le Monastier-sur-Gazeille → Le Puy-en-Velay (20.3 km) — on the GR 70 via Coubon and across the Loire into town.

Nothing here is technically difficult, but the plateau is upland country with real weather: fog, wind and, in spring, patches of leftover snow. Don't set out there without a GPS track and a map.

Burzet Has Carried the Cross Since at Least 1325

In the years 1325, 1327, 1329 and 1330, records in Burzet mention a man named Jean Rivière who carried the cross through the village lanes. This custom grew into one of the best-known Stations of the Cross in France. In 1712 the missionary Pierre Vigne, founder of the Way of the Cross at Boucieu-le-Roi, wrote a book about it and had small oratories built in Burzet as well. The Revolution turned the church into a "temple de la raison" on January 28, 1794, and on April 21, 1794, the council decided to tear down all the Calvary chapels. In 1804 the parish priest Jean-Baptiste Riffard rebuilt the way and extended it to the summit; it was completed on April 6, 1829.

Today 32 granite stations lead up past the hamlet of Belvézet to three crosses at 840 meters. On Good Friday 1893 an estimated 6,000 to 7,000 people came, at a time when the village had about 3,500 inhabitants. To this day the Passion procession winds through Burzet in costume every Good Friday, organized by the "Amis du calvaire et de saint Bénézet." The second name in the association's title has a story of its own: in the hamlet of Villard stands a chapel to Saint Bénézet, the shepherd boy who began building the bridge of Avignon in 1177. Burzet claims him as one of its own, as do other places. So you walk from a route that passes Avignon to a village that claims Avignon's bridge builder, and then you climb.

Highlights Along the Way

• Saint-James, Montélimar (km 0) — St. James window from 1960, a tapestry with a scallop shell, a modern statue of St. James; in the Faubourg Saint-James, the former pilgrim hospital with three pilgrim graves.
• Mélas near Le Teil — the Romanesque church of Saint-Étienne at the crossing of two Roman roads, with an octagonal dome, a Monument historique since 1858; closed since the earthquake of November 11, 2019. It lies about 1.5 kilometers off the trail.
• Alba-la-Romaine (km 22.2) — Alba Helviorum was the capital of the Helvii, covering about 30 hectares, with a theater and a 3rd-century bridge over the Escoutay. Around 475 the bishop moved to Viviers and took the diocese with him. In 1904 the village, known as Aps in the Middle Ages, got its Roman name back. Above it stands a castle from the 12th to 16th centuries.
• Aubenas Castle (km 50.9) — the Montlaur family ruled here from 1084 to 1441; the roofs of glazed Burgundian tiles date from the 17th century. Since 1810 the castle has belonged to the town and serves as its town hall; it has been a Monument historique since 1943.
• Vals-les-Bains (km 57.2) — more than 140 mineral springs; in the park, the Source intermittente shoots up roughly every six hours.
• Burzet (km 77.7) — Way of the Cross with 32 stations, the Gothic church of Saint-André with its bell gable. The Ray-Pic waterfall, protected since 1931, lies about four kilometers off the trail.
• Gerbier de Jonc — a phonolite cone 1,551 meters high, at whose foot the Loire rises, a protected natural site since 1933; about four kilometers east of the trail.
• Chartreuse de Bonnefoy — founded in 1156 on land that Guillaume de Fay gave to the Carthusians, in the municipality of Le Béage, off the trail; today a ruin.
• Le Monastier-sur-Gazeille (km 120.9) — the abbey church of Saint-Chaffre, begun in 1074, with an organ from 1518, one of the oldest in Europe; the abbey was dissolved in 1787.

A Donkey for 65 Francs

On September 22, 1878, Robert Louis Stevenson set out from Le Monastier with Modestine, the donkey he had bought there, according to his book for 65 francs and a glass of brandy. Twelve days and about 200 kilometers later he arrived in Saint-Jean-du-Gard. "Travels with a Donkey in the Cevennes" was published in 1879, and with it the line that has been stuck on countless backpacks ever since: "I travel not to go anywhere, but to go." His route is today's GR 70, which starts in Le Puy. On your last 20 kilometers you walk it backward, toward Stevenson.

How Pilgrims Find Their Way onto This Path

Montélimar is a starting point: no other Camino Ninja route ends here. If you're coming from the north on the Via Rhodana, you can turn off at Le Teil and take this route to Le Puy instead of Arles.

Continue the pilgrimage?

In Le Puy-en-Velay the Via Podiensis begins, the GR 65 via Conques, Cahors and Moissac to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. Three more routes end in the same town:

• Via Adresca — from the Dauphiné through the Vivarais
• Via Gebennensis — from Geneva through Savoy and over the Pilat massif
• Trier – Le Puy — from the Moselle straight across France

Preparation & Practical Information

Season. The Rhône valley is hot in high summer, and the plateau at 1,200 to 1,300 meters is snow country in winter; the roads around the Gerbier are often snowed in until spring. The best time to go is from mid-May to mid-October.

Waymarking and route description. Only the first section to Le Teil is described by the ARA and waymarked with a yellow arrow on a blue background; you'll find the description via chemins.compostelleenrhonealpes.fr. Note: from Le Teil on, the arrows there point to Arles. For Le Teil to Le Monastier there is no published route description; download the GPS track and bring a map. From Le Monastier on, follow the red-and-white blazes of the GR 70.

Accommodation and credential. Montélimar has plenty of hotels and an accueil jacquaire (pilgrim welcome); Le Teil, Aubenas and Vals-les-Bains have hotels. On the plateau beds are scarce; call a few days ahead, especially outside the summer holidays. The easiest way to do this is right in the Camino Ninja App, where you put together your stages and plan suitable accommodation at the same time. As on all French routes, you need a pilgrim passport (credencial) to stay in pilgrim accommodation and to receive the Compostela at the end. It's best to order it online in advance so it reaches you in time for the start of your journey. You can get your first stamp at the parish of Saint-James (Monday to Friday, 9:30 a.m. to noon).

Provisions. Stock up before the stretch between Burzet and Le Monastier; shops there are rare and often open only in season.

What the journey will cost you

Plan on 60 to 100 € per day for a room, dinner and breakfast; in gîtes on the plateau, half board usually costs a little less than a hotel down in the valley (Camino Ninja estimate, as of October 2026). For seven stages that adds up to about 450 to 700 € in total.

Getting Here

• Getting to the start: Montélimar station on the Lyon – Marseille line, served by TER and TGV trains; the church of Saint-James is in the south of the old town.
• Joining midway: Aubenas and Vals-les-Bains have no train station but can be reached by bus from Montélimar and Valence.
• Getting home from the finish: Le Puy-en-Velay has a train station with TER connections to Saint-Étienne and Lyon.
• Timetables: ter.sncf.com