From 23 to 29 September, final walk from Domfront
This year, our group of miquelots covered the final stages of the long road from Paris to Montpellier... find out more about the programme:
| Date | Stage | Distance | departure | arrival | Heritage |
| Sun 23 | Domfront Botanical walk | 5 km | 10am Church of Notre-Dame-sur-l'Eau | 12pm Church of Notre-Dame-sur-l'Eau | with Nicole Lottin and Bertrand Leroy |
| Sun 23 | Around Domfront | 13 km | 13h30 Place de la Mairie, Domfront |
5.30pm Place de la mairie | From the Chemin de Saint Michel to the GR 22... |
| Monday 24th | Domfront - Lonlay-l'Abbaye | 17 km | 9.15am Church of Notre-Dame-sur-l'Eau | 3.30pm Lonlay church | Lonlay Abbey |
| Tuesday 25 | Lonlay-l'Abbaye - Rancoudray | 20.5 km | 9 am Abbaye de Lonlay-L'Abbaye | 15:30 Church of Rancoudray | La Fosse-Arthour Rancoudray |
| Merc 26 | The treasures of Mortain | 13 km | 2pm Place de la Mairie | 17h30 Place de la Mairie |
Mortain |
| Fri 28 | Isigny-le-Buat - Bas-Courtils | 25 km | 9h Chapel of Pain-d'Avaine |
4.30pm Bas-Courtils | Green route and coastline |
| Sat 29 | Crossing the bay | 7 km | 1pm Bec-d'Andaine | 16 au Mont | shuttle return at 5.30pm |
On Mondays, Tuesdays, Fridays and Saturdays, a bus took walkers back to their starting point.
How can you take part?
Each walker had to bring a picnic.
Rates
registration form to download
Supervision for each day, visits and bus transfers were included in the prices shown below.
For each day's walk: €4 per person for association members and €5 per person for non-members.
Except Saturday 29 September: €10 for members and €12 for non-members.
Free for children under 12
September 2011
the Chemins de saint Michel celebrated Normandy
In 911, the Treaty of Saint-Clair-sur-Epte laid the foundations for the future Duchy of Normandy. Pilgrimages to Mont-Saint-Michel also took off in the 10th and 11th centuries.
From 5 to 29 September 2011, groups of Miquelots took it in turns to take a symbolic message along the route from Rouen to Mont-Saint-Michel.
In the past, on these routes, pilgrims received food and found lodgings in the hôtels-Dieu or hospitals. Today's walkers have the same needs. This age-old tradition of hospitality and welcome will be the message carried this year on the Way of Saint Michael.
Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 September
From Friday 16 to Sunday 18 September
From Saturday 24 to Thursday 29 September
From 5 to 9 September, from Rouen to Orbec
The declaration began its journey on 5 September in Rouen.
From Tuesday 6 to Friday 9The route passes through the Roumare and Montfort forests, following the Risle valley past sites steeped in history: the motte castrale at Montfort, the Bec-Hellouin abbey, the towns of Brionne, Bernay and Broglie...
Saturday 10 and Sunday 11 in Vimoutiers, Orne
The declaration arrived in Vimoutiers in the afternoon.
On Saturday, local residents accompanied us to the church of Saint-Denis du Pont-de-Vie, where we solemnly deposited the declaration for the night.
On our arrival, after the discovery of the Dances of yesteryear, we gathered around a glass of friendship offered by the association for the preservation of the Pont de Vie, before taking the road again to Vimoutiers in light ... with a torchlight and lantern parade.
A 4 km walk in the company of the troupe ADeVInaIlle.
Heritage Days weekend
Saturday 17 September, from Falaise to Pont-d'Ouilly and Sunday 18 September, from Pontécoulant to Vassy
To celebrate the arrival of the Friday eveningAt 8 p.m., we took a break from history with a lecture at the Falaise multimedia library on Places to stay in Falaise with Vincent Juhel historian and researcher with the association Les Chemins de saint Michel et Alain Dolbecqguide and historian of the town of Falaise
Le Saturday 17 Septembera heritage walks with 2 theatrical performances along the way by the Compagnie de la Lanterne who enchanted us with Les pèlerins du Val d'Ante... A big thank you to the people of the Falaise region for their hospitality, and we won't forget your welcome from Falaise to Pont-d'Ouilly via Martigny-sur-l'Ante.
Le Sunday 18 SeptemberAfter a musical break with the Pistingotte duo, the rain didn't stop the Miquelots for a walk from Pontécoulant to Vassy, where we were warmly welcomed by the locals.
From Saturday 24 to Thursday 29 September, final walk from Vire to Mont-Saint-Michel
Setting off from Vire on Saturday 24 September, around twenty brave miquelots took to the roads to accompany the declaration to Mont-Saint-Michel, where it arrived on 29 September, Saint-Michel's Day.
Every day, walkers joined them for a few stops along the way. Their journey was punctuated by a host of events, providing a fun and unusual way to discover the paths of Saint Michael...
The festivities kicked off in the Vire bocage with a dramatised tour of Vire by the company Les Hors-Contrôles on Saturday 24 September and a botanical walk on Sunday 25 September to Saint-Michel-de-Montjoie in the company of Nicole Lottin, a botany enthusiast, and Bertrand Leroy, a young writer.
After discovering the heritage of the forest of Saint-Sever-Calvados and its abbey on Monday 26 September, the Miquelots continued on to Villedieu-les-Poêles, where they visited the exhibition Souvenir de Miquelots in the company of the inhabitants of this medieval town.
The finale in the Bay of Mont-Saint-Michel led the miquelots and the declaration to discover the legends of Merlin des Grèves Wednesday 28 September for a radiant walk from Avranches to Genêts.
And on Thursday 29 September, it was a magnificent day to round off this unusual event, with a song-filled crossing of the bay and a climb up the steps to the abbey, the destination of the journey!
The declaration arrived safely and we won't forget the encounters and commitments that were made along the way... A story was born and it continues to unfold...
ON THE ROUTE OF THE DUKES OF NORMANDY IN 2010
A new convergence on the Normandy routes to promote the stopover towns and accommodation created along the paths of Saint Michael in recent years. Two groups of miquelots, members of the association, have organised themselves to follow the two routes of the Dukes of Normandy: the Caen route and the Rouen route.
From Vire, an ancient medieval town nestling in the heart of the Virois bocage, to Mont-Saint-Michel, these four days of walking took them in the footsteps of Norman pilgrims to discover a preserved heritage. A warm welcome was extended at every stop, and the exchange of ideas was rich and rewarding. The route takes in the rolling countryside of southern Manche, a land of granite and legends.
In September 2003, the Association inaugurated the first part of the Chemin de Paris by organising a walk between L'Aigle and Mont-Saint-Michel. This year, we wanted to mark the section between Paris and L'Aigle. Around twenty brave miquelots took part in this adventure!
After sharing a glass of friendship with the Compostelle 2000 association (an association of Friends of Santiago de Compostela in Paris) at their offices on rue de Sévigné and the blessing of the pilgrim in the choir of Notre-Dame cathedral in Paris, the group of miquelots began their walk on Saturday 19 September, finishing in L'Aigle on Sunday 27 September. Every day, a few walkers joined the group to share moments of conviviality.
The weekend of Saturday 26 and Sunday 27 September, with the final two stages from Dampierre-sur-Avre to Verneuil-sur-Avre and from Verneuil-sur-Avre to L'Aigle, was the highlight of the walk. These two days were open to the public for the official inauguration of the stage between Verneuil-sur-Avre and L'Aigle. The group of walkers were welcomed by the local people and the towns they passed through. Once again, we'll have fond memories of these moments of sharing and of the wonderful sense of hospitality in the Pays d'Avre et d'Iton and the Pays d'Ouche... On this occasion, the town of L'Aigle and the Association signed a stage town agreement.
10 YEARS OF PATHS IN SEPTEMBER 2008
Along with thirteen centuries of history, the Association "Les Chemins de saint Michel" celebrated its tenth anniversary. The theme of the anniversary was "Friendship", to recall all the encounters that have enabled the Association to restore these paths and bring them to life.
Several groups of miquelots (pilgrims to Saint Michael) walked simultaneously along different routes.
Along the way, the walkers were regularly welcomed by local residents, and their visit was the occasion for many meetings and events.
The groups carried a pennant bearing the logo of the Association "Les Chemins de saint Michel" and a logo illustrating the group's region of origin.
Each path had its own blog regularly updated by the group of walkers who shared their day-to-day adventures along the way.
Groups of Miquelots on the roads:
- 17 September 2008, from Winchester in England to Le Mont via Cherbourg
A group of 10 French people and 8 English people walked to celebrate the friendship that the Association is forging with its English partners and to reflect on the future projects that it wishes to develop in England.
The group of French Miquelots joined the English on 16 September to start their journey from Winchester Cathedral after a ceremony attended by Hampshire councillors and the Conseil Régional de Basse-Normandie.
They passed through Owlesbury, Southwick and Porchester, reaching Cherbourg on 19 September before continuing on to Mont-Saint-Michel via Montebourg, Carentan, Périers, Coutances, Cérences, la Haye-Pesnel, Saint-Jean-le-Thomas and Genêts. At each stopover, they were welcomed and their passage gave rise to numerous events involving the residents of the towns they passed through.
- 27 September, from Mortain on the Grand Chemin to Paris
A small group of 5 walkers covered part of this new Grand Chemin de saint Michel, a first to herald the publication in 2009 of a new guidebook describing the Chemin de saint Michel and the GR 22 between Paris and Mont-Saint-Michel.
- 16 September, from Rouen (leaving from the cathedral)
A group of 6 walkers from Normandy followed this route, which crosses the two Normandy regions, to celebrate the collaboration between the association and its Norman partners.
They passed through Bec-Hellouin Abbey, Bernay, Orbec, Vimoutiers, Falaise, Vire, Avranches and Genêts.
- 21 September, from Caen (leaving from the church of Saint-Michel de Vaucelles)
A small group of 8 miquelots were joined for several stages by visually impaired people. Visually impaired people, with the help of their families and sighted volunteers, chose to get involved by organising activities and taking part in various projects like this one.
Visually impaired people, assisted by their families and sighted volunteers, joined them for their first and final leg.
Our associations have decided to work together to spread a message of solidarity and openness along the way.
During their visit to Villedieu-les-Poêles, the Association and the Communauté de communes laid the foundations for a new partnership with the signing of an agreement between the Communautés de communes/ville-étape and the project for a hiker's halt in Villedieu.
- From Anjou, Brittany, Touraine and Sarthe
Several members of the Friends of Santiago de Compostela associations with which the Association works have also set off. They set off from Le Puy-Notre-Dame, Tours and Le Mans to reach Mont-Saint-Michel and join the pilgrims of Saint Michael to celebrate with us this rich friendship that unites us.
This partnership was born out of a desire to work together on the routes, with two ambitious and unprecedented projects in particular: linking the two major sites of Compostela and Le Mont and double signposting the routes.
Blogs:
FINAL IN THE BAY
Rando Baie on the paths of Saint Michel
Exceptionally this year, the Association joined forces with the Rando Baie, the highlight of which took place from 24 to 29 September.
La Rando Baie sur les chemins de saint Michel opened up the route between Coutances and Mont-Saint-Michel to the public, allowing those who wished to do so to accompany the group of English and French Miquelots on the final stages of their journey.
The initiative was a great success, with between 70 and 150 walkers taking part each day.
The highlight of the third Rando Baie took place over the weekend of 27 and 28 September.
with a host of events on each site, including concerts, a local produce market, exhibitions, round-table discussions and a big fest-noz evening on Saturday night.
On Saturday 27 September in Saint-James, the paths of Mont-Saint-Michel, the Council of Europe's new Cultural Route, celebrated their friendship with other European cultural pilgrimage routes, in particular those of Compostela.
Jacquets from the associations of the Friends of Saint-Jacques in Anjou, Brittany, Sarthe and Tours joined forces with the Association to seal this friendship with the symbolic planting of an apple tree and the placing of a commemorative plaque.
The event, which was attended by around fifty people, including pupils from Saint-James schools, took place in the presence of the mayor, Michel Thoury, and a delegation of representatives from Galicia, who had come on an official visit as part of Mont-Saint-Michel's 1,300-year history.
A meeting organised in the afternoon with representatives of the Way of St James and the Via Francigena, who had travelled specially from Italy, also laid the foundations for a new collaboration to harmonise the routes and their signposting in Europe.
ESPACE MIQUELOT
A place of discovery and exchange on the paths of Saint Michael
Lectures, round-table discussions, exhibitions, meetings with walkers, historians and writers, on Sunday 28 September with Henry Decaëns, Pierre Bouet, Jean-Luc Lecervoisier, Jean-Claude Bourlès, Jean-Luc Legros, Rita Balossino from the Via Francigena, Michel Mabit and the miquelots and jacquets who will have walked during the month of September.
Next to our space :
- tent of the Artémis Association whose members made a pilgrimage to the Mont in medieval costume...
Monday 29th September FINAL RANDO BAIE ON THE PATHS OF SAINT MICHEL>
The 10th anniversary of the "Les Chemins de saint Michel" Association
The following morning, another meeting was held with representatives from Saint-Michel d'Aiguilhe (Puy-en-Velay) and St Michael's Mount in England, at which a very concrete plan was drawn up for the networking of sanctuaries dedicated to Saint Michael, with the establishment of agreements between the Association and the sanctuaries concerned. The meeting also provided an opportunity to determine the timetable for the touring exhibition Entre Terre et Ciel.
The gathering ended on 29 September, Saint-Michel's Day, with a crossing of the bay attended by 350 people representing all the Association's partners (walkers, pilgrims, historians, etc.) and a reception at Le Mont Abbey to celebrate ten years of life on the paths together and to look ahead to the projects for the years to come...
This symbolic day for the association brought together many of its partners:
- the miquelots and jacquets walkers ;
- institutional partners in normandy ;
- representatives of the partner Church ;
- the historians on its scientific committee (present at the Cerisy-la-Salle international colloquium on "Representations of Mount Michael and the Archangel Saint Michael in literature and the arts", which began that same evening);
- the representatives of the other shrines of Saint Michael present;
- representatives of the Council of Europe's cultural pilgrimage routes.
All these contacts have been extremely important for us, as they have enabled us to celebrate the more than 2,000 km of Saint Michael's Way that have been waymarked to date. They have also enabled us to prepare for future projects, such as the development of Saint Michael's Ways in other countries (in Italy, of course, in collaboration with the Via Francigena, and in England) and our rapprochement with the other major sanctuaries of Saint Michael in Europe.