It all started in a little village in southern France called Le Puy en Velay. As the official start for my Robert Louis Stevenson Hike, I drove across Germany and France to get here. Stopping in beautiful Strasbourg and Dijon, I was ready for my 11 day hike along the Stevenson Trail GR-70. (See details of the offical trail here).
I aimed for 2 weeks, finishing in Ales. So, let’s go.
Le Puy-en-Velay
The historic town is a very hilly place due to the famous conical volcanic forms of the region. That also means that it makes the city quite special due to the religious monuments all sitting on top of the volcanic hills. It makes for a stunning view when entering Le Puy-en-Velay.
Inside the town the streets are narrow and hilly. There a few stairs to get to the 12th-century Romanesque Notre Dame Cathedral but worth it. Perched on a volcanic rock, the St-Michel d’Aiguilhe chapel dates from the 10th century. And nearby, the 1860 statue of the Virgin Mary looks over the town from another volcanic outcrop. I like this quirky little town. It is the perfect spot to start the Robert-Louis-Stevenso Trail.
After exploring the town, enjoying a nice dinner and a good night sleep I was ready for my hike. The hotel kindly let me leave my car parked at their hotel while I walk. The plan is to be back in 14 days (or so). The hike can start!
Le Puy en Velay – Coubon – Le Monastier-sur-Gazeille
My hotel was south of Le Puy -n-Velay so I actually started my hike from Vals-près-le-Pup. As with every hike I plan, I have an approximate guide where the trail is going and then, based on distance and accommodation, (as I learned in my Poland hike as well), I add my own inputs to get to the next stop. And so far, besides the map from the internet I haven’t had any detailed brochures from the Robert Louis Stevenson hike. But I should be fine.
Let’s go
The weather was quite cool in the morning and the fog was quite thick for the first hour of the hike. But once I was on top of the hill the sun appeared and gave an amazing view over the countryside. What a glorious day and the perfect start into the hike. I set myself the goal to walk only between 18-25km per day so I would enjoy the full 14 days of the hike. Rather than pushing too hard. It is all about balance and it works well for me.
Reaching the little town Coubon didn’t take long. Short break and after a few more hours I reached my stop for the day, Le Monastier-sur-Gazeille. 24km and so my first day of the Robert-Louis-Stevenson Hike done.
I only had a few small snacks during the hike, so I was pretty hungry by the time I arrived. However the little town seemed asleep (lunch siesta maybe?) so I went to the hotel, took my boots off and waited and waited. Until the first bakery was open. It smelled very inviting and I couldn’t wait to have my first french baguette on this trip. Delicious and well deserved!
Le Monastier-sur-Gazeille – Goudet – Le Marconnes
The little hotel had a few brochures of the Robert Louis Stevenson Hike and so I could now plan my trip in more detail. However my final destination still depended on finding the right accommodation and so I kept on booking a few days in advance only. For Day 2 I have found this cute little French Guest House in Le Marconnes, so I followed the Stevenson Trail GR-70 that way. Well, this stop wasn’t really on the official trail, but it was perfect for me.
Be prepared
What I also learned from all the hikes is that even though the map says there is a little village or town, it doesn’t mean that you necessarily find food or a shop there. Always be prepared for neither. I was stocked up with lunch from the bakery and my second day walk was 22km. The little villages I passed were very cute and charmful. What a great way to explore France. I love the old style houses with the colourful window shutters. So idyllic!
Not long after leaving in the morning, I passed a small village that had a small bakery but I decided not to stop. I knew that I would be in Goudet soon (which looked bigger on the map) so I planned to stop for some food and a cafe there. Big mistake! Always take the opportunity to buy food. Because, Goudet might have been a bigger town, but there was nothing open. Luckily I finally found the camping side that offered coffee so I had a short break there. And I always have a snack in my backpack.
I am walking through the Auvergne in the Rhône-Alpes and the walk and scenery on this Stevenson Trail so far consists of farmland mainly. There are plenty of cows that watch me passing by. So funny! The hike in general is always on a high plateau with an average of 1000m altitude so it is quite manageable in terms of hills and easy to walk. The scenery is just beautiful!
Le Marconnes
I have finally arrived at the guest house Le Marconnes and was greeted by a friendly Dutch couple who bought this guest house only 6 months ago. It was an amazing spot with great views and a pool (too cold to swim in though).
Most of the Guest houses here on this walk offer the half board option (dinner and breakfast) as there are no shops or other opportunities to buy food. It suited me perfectly that night, especially after cooking my own dinner and breakfast the night before.
The joint dinner with the other guests was great. One big table, beautiful scenery and with open fire around us for comfort. Loved it! The food was delicious as well and the overall experience was perfect. It was worth the detour, so if you are planning a hike definitely check out the Le Marconnes guest house as an overnight stay. (Although that night I was the only guest walking the Robert Louis Stevenson Hike).
Le Marconnet – Pradelles – Langogne
Day 3 and a short day of walking today. 17km to go. After a great breakfast in the morning I headed straight to Pradelles. Pradelles is an old fortified village that overlooks the Upper Allier valley. It is quite cute and it was a good stop for a coffee (although, once again, out of 5 coffee shops only one was open). As in almost every little village however, there are always enough water fountains to fill up my water bottle. And after a further 5 km I arrived at my destination Langogne just in time for lunch.
Langonge was a bigger town and my theory was, if the town has some shops I will buy food (dinner) at the supermarket. If I am in small village I am happy to eat (and pay) at the Guest house. It was a good balance! So after a nice shower and some rest I found a supermarket and bought everything I needed for lunch, dinner and lunch the next day. Breakfast was from a french patisserie of course. How could I not?
Ready for the second part of my Robert Louis Stevenson hike. Off through the mountains.
