Hike on the GR®653D Via Domitia - Way of Saint James - Santiago de Compostela through Hautes-Alpes, Alpes de Haute-Provence and Bouches-du-Rhone department. Guest House, Bed and Breakfast, Hotel, Camping, Shelter, Inn, Shops.

GR®653D

Via Domitia

From Montgenevre (Hautes-Alpes) to Arles (Bouches-du-Rhone)

Way of St. James - Santiago de Compostela

433km

The Via Domitia, constructed in 118 BC, is the oldest Roman road and was the first road built by the Romans in Gaul. It was commissioned by Gnaeus Domitius Ahenobarbus, whose name it bears. The road was initially a military route to Spain, but quickly became a great communication route for information and trade. The Via Domitia linked Italy and Hispania through Gallia Narbonensis, across what is now Southern France. The route that the Romans regularised and paved was ancient when they set out to survey it, and traces the mythic route travelled by Heracles. The road crossed the Alps at the easiest passage, the Col de Montgenevre (1850 m), followed the valley of the Durance, crossed the Rhone at Beaucaire, passed through Nîmes (Nemausus) then followed the coastal plain along the Gulf of Lion. At Narbonne, it met the Via Aquitania (which led toward the Atlantic Ocean through Toulouse and Bordeaux). In between the cities that it linked, the Via Domitia was provided with a series of mansiones at distances of a day’s journey for a loaded cart, at which shelter, provender and fresh horses could be obtained for travellers on official business. Today, a path that follows close to the ancient road provides the vital link between the St James Way network and the via Francigena allowing pilgrims to walk between Santiago de Compostela and Rome. This makes it an important secondary route for pilgrims on their journey to Santiago de Compostela. In conclusion, the Via Domitia is not just an ancient Roman road but a living testament to history. It continues to serve as a vital link for communication, trade, and pilgrimage. Walking along its path is like stepping back in time, tracing the footsteps of ancient Romans, medieval pilgrims, and countless others who have journeyed along this historic route.

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