Chemin de Cherbourg
The Cherbourg and Barfleur routes are known as "Chemins de Cherbourg et de Barfleur".Chemins aux Anglais"They were used in the Middle Ages by the English on their way to Mont-Saint-Michel, often continuing on to Santiago de Compostela.
View Chemin de Cherbourg on Google Map
A LITTLE HISTORY
The "Chemin du Littoral" starts in Cherbourg, a port town of ancient origin, and mostly follows the shoreline, crossing the La Hague peninsula and often following the coast from Les Pieux to the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel.
The quality of the landscapes it offers as you explore it makes it a very interesting route, even if it is likely that travellers and pilgrims took the route set back from the coast, which was shorter and better protected from the elements.
This route, which ran through the villages, corresponds to today's departmental roads, which are far too dangerous for modern walkers, which is why the coastal path was often preferred.
The route takes in Barneville-Carteret, a town of medieval origin, Portbail, an ancient port with a 5th-century rural baptistery, later converted into the chapel of Saint-Michel, and Lessay, famous for its Romanesque abbey church, before heading inland towards Coutances (13th-century cathedral, a masterpiece of Norman Gothic), the capital of the diocese and the crossroads of the region's communication routes.
Beyond Coutances, the Mont-Saint-Michel route follows the old Roman road to Avranches, but bends towards Montmartin-sur-Mer, where a famous international fair was held in the Middle Ages, and Granville, a town founded during the Hundred Years' War to control the bay of Mont-Saint-Michel.
On the outskirts of the Bay, the route corresponds to or crosses a number of "montais paths" (known from archives or the old land register), which were used by countless pilgrims on their way to the shrine of the Archangel.
THE STAGES
- Cherbourg / Les Pieux (26 km)
- Les Pieux / Barneville-Carteret (27 km)
- Barneville-Carteret / Denneville (17 km)
- Denneville / Lessay (22 km)
- Lessay / Ancteville (29 km)
Erratum
The topographical text for stage 5 of the Chemin de Cherbourg is incorrect. Here is the correction:
Ancteville / Hauteville-sur-Mer (27 km)
Hauteville-sur-Mer / Granville (21 km) Granville / Saint-Jean-le-Thomas (27 km) Saint-Jean-le-Thomas /Genêts (7.5 km)
Total: 202 km - 9 stages
This route is described in the guide published by the Association: Pilgrims' Itineraries - The English Way - From Barfleur and Cherbourg to Mont-Saint-Michel 14 € (+ postage)
For more details on this guide, see the Guides section
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THE DIFFICULTIES
This is an exclusively pedestrian route, part of which follows the GR 223, or "coastal path", and anything other than pedestrians is strictly forbidden (bicycles, scooters, etc.). Apart from the obvious safety issues, this is about respect for the natural environment and its fragile eco-system, which is a collective asset. Crossing fences, stairs, steep passages... this route, which is often shared with the customs path, requires a good level of fitness. Accommodation on this route is good, but you will need to book for each stage.
THE AREAS WE PASS THROUGH AND THEIR LANDSCAPES
After Cherbourg harbour, the route enters the bocage to head towards Les Pieux, on the west coast of the Manche département.
It then follows the coast, crossing dunes and beaches, and passes the Capes du Rozel and Carteret. After the capes, it visits the harbours of Portbail and Lessay, then heads into the moorland, a fantastic land of fairies and goblins, before entering the coutançais bocage.
After touring the havre de la Vanlée, near Bréhal, it returns to the coast at Hauteville-sur-Mer, crosses Cap Lihou at Granville and skirts the old fisheries, before climbing the majestic cliffs of Champeaux from where, at last, the Mont is revealed.
Once in Genêts, all that remains is to undertake the final stage: crossing the Bay.
Special feature:
The last stage, between Saint-Jean-le-Thomas and Mont-Saint-Michel, is shared with the Barfleur route.
NOT TO BE MISSED Cherbourgits Notre-Dame-du-Vœu abbey, its Trinité church, its museum and its famous Cité de la Mer (City of the Sea) Barneville-Carteretand the church of Saint-Germain Portbail and its Notre-Dame church, the archaeological site of its 5th-century baptistery (former Saint-Michel chapel) Saint-Germain-sur-Ayhis Romanesque church and its former priory Lessay and its famous late 11th-century abbey church Créances, the church and its chapel of Saint-Michel Pirou and its 12th-century fortified castle overlooking the shore Coutancesa stage town on the Chemins du Mont and its famous 13th-century cathedraland its links with the Mont as seen in the magazine "Des racines et des ailes Montchaton, the Rocque bridge and its Saint-Georges church Montmartin-sur-merknown for its fairs in the Middle Ages and its beaches today Hauteville-sur-mer Granvillethe Haute Ville with its church of Notre-Dame du cap Lihou overlooking the corsair town Saint-Pair-sur-Mera former barony with a priory of Mont and a rich historical heritage Carollesits natural coastline with cliffs, the Lude valley, the Vauban hut from which you can see Mont... and the church of Saint-Vigor and its stained glass window of Saint Michel designed by the artist Jacques Simon. Saint-Jean-le-Thomas and its churchwhich houses the remains of a group of Romanesque wall paintings that are unique in the region GenetsThis is the point of convergence for the Chemins du Mont and the start of the final stage: crossing theèves.
GPX FILES, STEP BY STEP, TO DOWNLOAD FOR GPS
These routes are given for guidance only and are not as accurate as the topographical texts accompanied by the 1:50,000 maps in the guide published by the Association.
Alternative route to the Chemin de Barfleur from Cherbourg
View Cherbourg / Montebourg on Google Map
VARY THE PLEASURES!
This is an exclusively pedestrian route, part of which follows the GR 223, or "coastal path", and anything other than pedestrians is strictly forbidden (bicycles, scooters, etc.). Apart from the obvious safety issues, this is about respect for the natural environment and its fragile eco-system, which is a collective asset.
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OPINION OF MIQUELOTS
On arrival, "we had chosen to sleep in and were able to enjoy the serenity that pervades the place in the evening, in the midst of this immensity where you can no longer distinguish the strike of the sky and a morning visit to the abbey almost confidential before attending mass.
We're delighted to be returning from our cyan-blue logo-guided walk along this path between land and sea, invigorated by the sea air and windy but fortunately not very rainy weather.
We didn't know your region before, and this approach on foot has made us want to come back soon to explore it in greater depth.
Françoise, Dominique and Marijo (May 2021)