Hiking Path Champs Bivouac — ©Hike in the fields of the Thérouanne region|Eden 62

Taking the Via Francigena

Also known as the GR 145

I’m discovering gentle roaming on the Via Francigena, also known as the GR 145.

Have you ever dreamed of having the power to stop time? I have the power to stop time… and so do you! It’s within your grasp, right here, right now… all you have to do is slow down your pace, forget your screens for a while, choose a walk or a bike ride, and set off along the roads and paths of the Audomarois to (re)discover the many riches of our region in a different way. In this way, time flows differently, it seems to stretch out slowly, the promise of a disconnection, through effort but all in gentleness…

Time for a weekend

Discover the Via Francigena

I decided to take the time to disconnect from the daily routine. Decided to rediscover my region, at my own pace, with the freedom to stop and stroll whenever I wanted.

Walking is within everyone’s reach to clear your head through effort, to open yourself up to surpassing yourself. All you have to do is put one step in front of the other, or pedal without paying any more attention, and let your mind wander…

Walking and cycling have many virtues. In addition to moderate-intensity physical activity within the reach of the greatest number of people, they encourage introspection, help relieve some of the tensions of everyday life, and allow us to travel, taking full advantage of the landscapes and treasures we discover along the way…

Hike Chemin Champs Bivouac Chapelle de Guémy (2) — ©Hikers at the Chapelle de Guémy|Eden 62

The Via Francigena

A complete and rejuvenating adventure

I see our region as a fantastic playground.Eager to discover new things, I want to meet its inhabitants and craftsmen, admire our rolling landscapes, farmlands, villages with preserved farm buildings and monuments. I’d like to learn more about our local history and taste tasty local products made on the farms along my itinerary.

I’ll take the opportunity to admire monuments such as the abbeys of Wisques and visit places like the Maison de l’Archéologie in Thérouanne, witnesses to an ancestral culture and history, sometimes thousands of years old.

Did you know?

The via francigena, labelled GR 145 by the Fédération Française de Randonnée Pédestre, is a European cultural itinerary crossing 4 states (England, France, Switzerland and Italy) and linking Canterbury to Rome.

Many tens of thousands of pilgrims from all over the world walk it every year in sections, and some pilgrims devote their vacations or even three to four months of their lives to walk the entire route in one go!

A European association, the AEVF, is in charge of promoting and developing this cultural and tourist route in conjunction with the communities and communes it crosses. The Pays de Saint-Omer and the Pays de Lumbres have moreover welcomed an AEVF delegation in June 2021 as part of the ROAD TO ROME 2021 event.

Road to Rome 2021

Hauts-de-France

A few tips

To make the most of this experience

Whether I’m alone or accompanied during this adventure, I prepare a minimum of my stay before embarking on the course.

1I order my

I reserve and buy my Crédenciale, "official pilgrim's passport", at the Maison de l'Archéologie in Thérouanne or at the Office de tourisme et des congrès du Pays de Saint-Omer. Whatever my motivation (sporting, spiritual, cultural challenge, simple curiosity...), I need this document to benefit from stopover accommodation reserved for pilgrims. I get it stamped at the accommodation and places to visit, which usually have a specific via francigena stamp, and sometimes at the town hall. In this way, I can keep a souvenir of my passage.

2How do I plan my itinerary and find my way around?

I download the official application from viefrancigene.org and choose the stages in the Pays de Saint-Omer and Pays de Lumbres that I want to walk.
I can buy the GR145 topoguide or any other official guide to the Via Francigena which will show me the route on an IGN map, some local history and practical information to know.

3Where to eat and sleep?

I check with the Office de tourisme et des congrès du Pays de Saint-Omer (Pays de Saint-Omer Tourist and Convention Bureau) for information on the accommodation and eating places I can find along the Via Francigena.
I book my accommodation for the dates and stages I wish to make. Please note that some villages no longer have food shops, cafés or even banks. It is therefore advisable to anticipate a little and take advantage of an open bakery or delicatessen to make my purchases.
I make sure to withdraw cash from the bank in my starting town (e.g. Tournehem-sur-la-Hem or Thérouanne), as well as some food to regain strength during the effort, prepare my picnic (energy bars, dry sausage, dried fruit, fruit pastes).
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4Packing my bag

As light as possible: my phone and charger, my water bottle, my binoculars, my notebook and pen, my cycling or hiking gear depending on the weather...