Camino de Santiago in Lourdes: the Pyrenean Piedmont Way (GR78)

The Pyrenean Piedmont Way (GR78, Chemin du Piémont pyrénéen) runs from Carcassonne to the Basque Country along the foothills of the Pyrenees, for about 500 km. It joins the GR65 (Le Puy Way) just before Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port. The French Hiking Federation (FFRandonnée) and the French agency for the Ways of St James present it as a “fifth way”, alongside the four historic routes described in the 12th-century Codex Calixtinus: Tours, Vézelay, Le Puy and Arles.

Lourdes is one of the major stages on this route. Waymarked in white and red, sometimes with the yellow scallop shell on a blue background, the GR78 crosses the town: it arrives from Bagnères-de-Bigorre over the Pic du Jer, passes the Château fort and the Sanctuary, then leaves westwards along the forest road towards Saint-Pé-de-Bigorre and Lestelle-Bétharram.

In Lourdes, pilgrims find a double stop: a stage on the Way of St James and one of the world's great Marian pilgrimage sites. In 2024 the Sanctuary welcomed 3.2 million individual pilgrims. Many walkers stay an extra day for the Grotto, the processions and some rest.

Another approach: the GR101 (Chemin de l'Ouest de Bigorre) links Lourdes with Maubourguet (63 km), on the Arles Way (GR653), allowing Arles Way pilgrims to make a detour via Lourdes.

St James information centre: the association “À la Croisée des Chemins” runs a pilgrim welcome point on Chaussée du Bourg, open from April to October. You can buy your credencial (pilgrim passport), have it stamped, look at maps, get advice on the stages and obtain the list of accommodation (source: Lourdes tourist office).

Sanctuary information centre: 1 avenue Mgr Théas, tel. +33 5 62 42 20 08. The French agency for the Ways of St James also lists it as an information and credencial point.

Pilgrim hostel: the same association runs the “La Croisée des Chemins” gîte, 4 rue de l'Arberet (10 beds, open 4 April to 15 October in 2026).

Why get your credencial stamped? To receive the Compostela in Santiago, the Pilgrim's Office requires at least the last 100 km on foot or on horseback (200 km by bike), with a credencial bearing two stamps per day on that final stretch. Stamps collected in France, such as in Lourdes, record your whole journey.

Tip: plan at least one full night in Lourdes, two if you want to join the evening torchlight procession and set off again well rested.

Coming from the east: Bagnères-de-Bigorre → Germ (about 16 km), then Germ → Lourdes via Ourdis-Cotdoussan and Juncalas (about 16.5 km). You reach Lourdes over the heights of the Pic du Jer.

Heading west (stages as set out by the French agency for the Ways of St James):
• Lourdes → Saint-Pé-de-Bigorre: 10 km, a short stage, ideal after a day at the Sanctuary;
• Saint-Pé-de-Bigorre → Bruges: 19.6 km, via Lestelle-Bétharram and Asson;
• Bruges → Buzy: 22 km;
• Buzy → Oloron-Sainte-Marie: 20.3 km.

To the end of the GR78: from Lourdes to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port it is about 160 km, or 8 stages. From Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port, the Camino Francés reaches Santiago de Compostela in 770 to 810 km depending on the source.

Spiritual detour: Bartrès, where Bernadette Soubirous was placed with a wet nurse (1844-1846) and later tended sheep (1857-1858), is 5 km on foot from the Grotto along the GR101, about an hour's walk.

These distances are indicative: follow the FFRandonnée GR78 guidebook and the waymarks on the ground.

Is the GR78 waymarked? Yes, in white and red like all GR trails, sometimes with the yellow shell on a blue background. The FFRandonnée guidebook (ref. 780) describes the whole route.

Is the credencial compulsory? Not for walking. It is often required in pilgrim hostels and essential to obtain the Compostela on arrival.

Where can I buy or stamp my credencial in Lourdes? At the “À la Croisée des Chemins” St James information centre, Chaussée du Bourg (April to October), or at the Sanctuary information centre.

How many stages from Lourdes to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port? About 160 km, or 8 stages according to the French agency for the Ways of St James.

Can I reach Lourdes by train to start or resume the Way? Yes: direct TGV trains link Paris-Montparnasse with Lourdes in about 5 hours.

Where to stay in Lourdes? At À l'Ombre de la Tour, 31 rue de la Grotte, 8 minutes' walk from the Sanctuary, we offer four homes with fully equipped kitchens: a studio (2 people) for solo walkers or couples, a one-bedroom flat (4 people), a duplex (6 people) and the whole house for up to 12 people, ideal for groups and parishes. Locked bike storage. Over the last 12 months, accommodation has averaged €17 to €23 per person per night, with the home filled to capacity. Book direct on our official website, and ask us anything on WhatsApp before you arrive.