The Via Gebennensis (The Geneva Route)

Unlike the other pilgrim roads through France which have followed more or less fixed itineraries for several hundreds of years, the Via Gebennensis is a "designer route," set up in the mid 1990s by the Association Rhône–Alpes des Amis de Saint–Jacques as a continuation of the GR 65 to enable pilgrims coming from Switzerland, Germany and Central Europe to walk to Le Puy in order to continue on to Santiago from there. It is therefore not a historic route but a bridging service between two points, a means of walking from Geneva to Le Puy–en–Velay on quiet, waymarked forest tracks, old lanes,footpaths and minor roads.

The Route, 350 km long, starts in Geneva and passes through innumerable very small hamlets, some villages large enough to have banks, post offices, restaurants and shops, but no place of any size between its starting and finishing points.It is rather solitary route where you are not likely to meet many other pilgrims at present though people living along the way report seeing at least one every day in the period April–September.

Stages of the way

Genf (CH)–Mont Sion (F) – 22 km
Mont Sion–Frangy – 21 km
Frangy–Chanaz – 35,5 km
Chanaz–Yenne – 15,5 km
Yenne–St–Genix–sur–Guiers – 24,5 km
St–Genix–sur–Guiers–Les Abrets – 14 km
Les Abrets–Le Grand Lemps – 28 km
Le Grand–Lemps–Faramans – 23 km
Faramans–Clonas (RN 7) – 35 km
Clonas–St–Julien–Molin–Molette – 28,5 km
St–Julien–Molin–Molette–St–Sauveur–en–Rue – 15 km
St–Sauveur–en–Rue–Montfaucon–en–Velay – 27 km
Montfaucon–en–Velay–St–Jeures – 20 km
St–Jeures–St–Julien–Chapteuil – 17,5 km
St–Julien–Chapteuil–Le–Puy–en–Velay – 18 km

Waymarking

Extremely thorough throughout with small blue and yellow Council of Europe stylised scallop shells. The beginnings of a "branch line" to connect with the Arles route has now been waymarked as well.

Terrain

Very strenuous, crossing the grain of the land a lot of the time, with constant climbs and descents. A considerable part of the route passes through forest and woodland and much of it lies between 600 and 1000 m above sea level.

What to see

No major monuments apart from Geneva and Le Puy but some Jacobean iconography along the way.

Accommodation and facilities

Not normally a problem. Hotels, chambres d’hôte and some gites d’étape. Campsites in several places along the route, where it is also often possible to hire a caravan for the night. There is also a comprehensive network of accueils jacquaires set up by the Association Rhône–Alpes, individuals who, with 24 hours notice, will provide overnight accommodation, breakfast and an evening meal for pilgrims carrying a credencial (pilgrim record) and a sleeping bag.

Cyclists

Much of the walkers route is unsuitable for bikes (of any kind) though with the above maps it is easy enough to find alternative routes on minor roads.