Conques (Chemin de Saint-Jacques)

(Published February 2013, last updated March 2025) 

Most villages in France lure you in with enticing glimpses of a church steeple, visible from afar across green rolling hills. Not Conques! It is only as you descend into the village that the towers of the magnificent Abbaye de Sainte-Foy rise up to greet you. 

Abbaye de Sainte-Foy

As you arrive in Conques (on foot—either along the Chemin de Saint-Jacques or from the eastern carpark), continue down the hill a little further and take some time to visit inside the abbey. This is the resting place of the relics of Sainte-Foy (pronounced Fwa), a thirteen year-old girl who was martyred in 303 CE in nearby Agen for her refusal to denounce her Christian faith.

After the initial decree that she be burned alive on a metal grill resulted in a public outcry, Foy was thrown into prison with other Christian supporters. Still, she refused to deny her faith and was beheaded, alongside her fellow prisoners.

In 866 CE, the relics of Sainte-Foy were ‘borrowed’ from the abbey in Agen and brought here to Conques, where a new church was built in her honour. The relics bestowed much prestige on the village, which has been an important stop on the pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela ever since.

A more detailed account of Foy’s life is provided in a small booklet Saint Faith by Frère Jean-Régis Hamel, which is available from the gift store next to the abbey. The book highlights sculptures and other symbolic references to the martyr that are located inside the church and is a handy guide to have with you when you visit the abbey.

A guided visit of the village

It would be a shame to rush through Conques without exploring all the delightful nooks, crannies and back streets which wind their way around the abbey.

Call in to the Tourist Office and pick up a copy of the marked map of the village—Step by Step Through the History of Conques—to guide you around. Be sure not to miss the cloister and Treasury, which is filled with precious relics from the Middle Ages.

Guided visits are also available in English from the Tourist Office, as are night tours of the Tribunes in the abbey.

Leisurely lunch in Place de l’Eglise

There are several cafés and restaurants in Conques and deciding where to eat is a difficult task. For stunning views of the abbey, it’s hard to go past the café in Place de l’Eglise. Relax over a leisurely lunch and admire the contemporary stained-glass windows by local artist Pierre Soulages.

Vespers in the abbey

Vespers are held in the abbey to welcome pilgrims every night at 8.30 pm (check the time at Tourist Office as it has sometimes been held earlier). After the service, everyone gathers outside where a priest tells the story of Sainte-Foy and Saint-Matthew, depicted in the twelfth-century tympanum above the entrance.

At 09:30 pm, the rich sounds of the pipe organ fill the abbey and, for a small fee, visitors are able to enjoy the music while wandering the dim corridors on the upper level of the church.

At 10:15 pm, it’s time to head outside for the lighting of the tympanum—a slow, magical light display where the intricate carvings are lit in jewel colours!

Porte de Barry and the romain bridge

Many walkers who have started out from Le Puy-en-Velay and plan to complete their journey along the Chemin de Saint-Jacques in stages, take advantage of the transport links in Conques and finish their walk here.

If you decide to do the same and not continue your walk towards Figeac, be sure to venture just a short way further along the Chemin de Saint-Jacques to the roman bridge at the edge of the village.

The path will take you under Porte de Barry, one of the original entrances to the village. It’s fun to imagine, hundreds of years ago, a guard keeping watch over the pilgrims and merchants coming and going.

Today, perhaps, it’s someone’s bedroom or sitting room, a place to curl up with a good book…

A little further on, before you reach the bridge, a detour to the left will take you up to Chapelle Saint-Roch. The chapel was built in the fifteenth century on what is thought to be the site of a medieval château, and although the doors are usually locked, the terrace offers a magnificent view back over the rooftops of the village. 

FAST FACTS

Which long-distance walk in France visits Conques?

Chemin de Saint-Jacques du-Puy (Stage 2: Aumont-Aubrac to Figeac)

Look inside the CHEMIN DE SAINT-JACQUES (PDF) guidebook

Where is Conques, France?   Find it on Google maps

Conques is located 203.5 kilometres (127.2 miles) along the Chemin de Saint-Jacques – a relaxed 13-day walk from the starting point of Le Puy-en-Velay but if you are pressed for time, Conques can be reached quite comfortably in 10 days without sacrificing any of the highlights.

Click through to find my suggested itinerary for all five stages of the walk or click through onto each of the five stages to find faster itineraries.

If you prefer to set your own agenda, I share the steps I take to plan my itinerary on any long-distance walk (using the Chemin de Stevenson as a case study).

Conques is one of eleven ‘most beautiful villages’ you’ll visit along the Chemin de Saint-Jacques du-Puy. The others are Saint-Côme-d’Olt, Estaing, Saint-Cirq-Lapopie, Lauzerte, Auvillar, La Romieu, Larressingle, Montréal-du-Gers, Navarrenx and Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port.

Transport options to and from Conques

The Compostel’Bus runs a daily service from Le Puy-en-Velay to Conques each morning, returning to Le Puy-en-Velay each afternoon. Other stops include Montbonnet, Saint-Privat-d’Allier, Monistrol-d’Allier, Saugues, Villeret-d’Apchier, La Chapelle-Saint-Roch (3 kms beyond le Sauvage), Saint-Alban-sur-Limagnole, Aumont-Aubrac, Nasbinals, Aubrac, Saint-Chély-d’Aubrac, Saint-Côme-d’Olt, Espalion, Estaing, Golinhac, Espeyrac and Sénergues.

From 1 April until 31 October, a daily bus service (select Aveyron region, ligne 223) runs to the train station in Rodez from where you can go practically anywhere in France.

Tourist Office in Conques 

You’ll find the Tourist Office in the middle of the village just above the abbey. Opening hours are listed on the Tourist Office website.

Accommodation in Conques  

During the summer months, Conques is a busy tourist destination, attracting both walkers and day-trippers. Despite what appears to be an abundance of rooms listed below, I have spent the night at Hôtel le Sainte Foy on two occasions, simply because all the cheaper beds were taken. And although it was pricier than I would normally spend on a walking holiday, it was beautiful and luxurious and worth every penny! In 2022, I spent the night at Chez Alice et Charles which offered magical views of the abbey from my window, and served a delicious breakfast!

Hotels
Le Moulin de Cambelong  
Le Sainte Foy  
L’Auberge Saint-Jacques

Chambres d’hôtes
Le Castellou (5 rooms, 15 people) 
Chez Alice et Charles (4 rooms, 9 people)
La Maison des Sources (4 rooms, 8 people)
La Conquise (4 rooms, 8 people)
L’Appel du Chemin (2 rooms, 4 people)

Gîtes
Centre d’Accueil Abbaye Sainte-Foy (96 people)  
Chez François (9 rooms, 24 people)
Le Compostelle de Conques (6 apartments, 14 people)
La Bonne Etoile (3 rooms, 9 people)
Les Pieds dans l’Eau (3 rooms, 6 people)

Camping
Le Temps d’Une Pause

How to book accommodation in French

Where to eat in Conques 

There are cafés aplenty in Conques. If you are following my suggested itinerary, you’ll arrive in Conques around lunchtime after a short walk from Espeyrac which should give you enough time to sample a few.

Start with a refreshing, cold drink at Chez Pierre et Colette which offers a tantalising view of the abbey, directly across from the entrance to the church. When you are ready for lunch, le Charlemagne serves delicious light, or hearty, meals inside or under the shade of the wisteria-covered terrace. For dinner, I love the food and the ambience of  Restaurant Saint-Jacques and look forward one day to arriving early enough to score a table on the terrace overlooking the cobbled street.

Practical tips for long-distance walking—preparation, packing and avoiding blisters

Purchase the Chemin de Saint-Jacques (PDF) guidebooks

$12.99 USD – Stage 2: Aumont-Aubrac to Figeac (PDF) guidebook Checkout Added to cart

Purchase five (PDF) guidebooks covering Le Puy-en-Velay to Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port

$49.99 USD – Purchase the Chemin de Saint-Jacques Bundle Checkout Added to cart

Look inside the CHEMIN DE SAINT-JACQUES (PDF) guidebook