Now we have finished walking the whole Via Francigena we can finally tell you what we think are the best sections of the 2,078km route. There are some absolutely AMAZING Via Francigena highlights, and we’ve picked our favourites from France, Switzerland and Italy.
We’ve included some because they’re just unremittingly beautiful, others because they’re so interesting culturally, and some others because they’re easy and fun to walk through.
And all these Via Francigena highlights, by the way, could be done as stand-alone walks so we’ve included distance and timings too. You can click on each place too to read the original blogs about our experiences.
So here are our 6 favourite bits from doing the walk – our personal Via Francigena highlights!
1. Reims and Champagne
Country: France
Distance: 26km from Reims to Trépail
S l o w time: 2 days
Best for: Champagne, Champagne culture, Champagne landscapes
WHAT is not to love about wandering through the lush manicured vineyards and narrow stone villages of the Champagne region? Amazingly, the Via Francigena takes a kind of behind-the-scenes tour through some of the most prestigious vineyards in the world, and it’s only a couple of hours’ walk out of the beautiful Champagne city of Reims.
We took the extra scenic walking route through the vineyards of G.H.Mumm, Moët & Chandon and Taittinger. It feels almost like trespassing it’s so good!
2. River Loue
Country: France
Distance: 20km from Ornans to the Source of the River Loue
S l o w time: 2 days
Best for: Deep forests, little mountains and waterfalls
A hidden part of France, just before the Swiss border. The little path you take is concealed by the Jura mountains and takes you up to the source of the River Loue, gushing from a cave. It’s dark, lush, jungly type walking, slipping and sliding over moss and rocks. A secret Via Francigena highlight!
3. Lausanne and Lac Leman
Country: Switzerland
Distance: 30km from Lausanne to Montreux
S l o w time: 3 days
Best for: Quite literally everything
This is what this bit offers: Lake Geneva. A pristine lake side city, Lausanne. The shoreline luxury towns of Vevey and Montreux. Cliff edge terraces of the Swiss wine region of Lavaux. And the Alps in the distance the whole way.
This may be all we need to say about this unbelievably beautiful part of the Via Francigena.
4. The Alps
Country: Switzerland
Distance: 45km from Martigny to Great Saint Bernard Pass
S l o w time: 4 days
Best for: Big mountains
The Via Francigena goes up to 2,473m, over the Alps via the Grand St Bernard Pass to Italy. And we’re not gonna lie, it’s uphill.
But trust us, it’s fun, it’s stunning, and mixed up with bits of plateau and valley flat so not as hard as you’d think. We had the best time walking up and over the Alps, wondering what the next bend would reveal.
5. Aosta Valley
Country: Italy
Distance: 100km from Great St Bernard Pass to Pont Saint-Martin
S l o w time: 6 days
Best for: Castle-type history, medium mountains
On the Italian side of the Alps, you walk into a huge rocky valley overlooked by castles, fortifications and ghost villages.
Coming down from the dizzying highs of the Alps, we didn’t know what to expect from this most Northerly area of North Italy, but we loved it. The path was excitingly high up, through deserted settlements, and with no one on it all. Castles all to ourselves!
6. Lucca to the Val d’Orcia, Tuscany
Country: Italy
Distance: 220km from Lucca to Radicofani
S l o w time: 10 days
Best for: Golden landscapes, medieval cities
TUSCANY. We had high expectations, we’ll admit. But from the city of Lucca until the border between Lazio and Tuscany we wandered in a dream. As well as winding through picture-postcard Tuscan countryside, the Via Francigena darts direct through the cities of Lucca and Siena, and both are atmospheric, beautiful, bucket list places.
Then, the south of Siena is just rolling hills and blue skies for miles around. This is the Val d’Orcia and it is ALL OVER the ‘gram . But in real life it didn’t disappoint – even without a filter.
We were here in August and September so everything was golden and dry, just on the cusp of Autumn. Be here in Spring for the brightest greens and blues (and probably kinder temperatures too).
The section of the Via Francigena that runs through Southern Tuscany is a perfect mix of city and landscape, has an easy to follow route, and is surprisingly wild to walk through. Actually, Tuscany might just be our favourites off all the favourites in this post.
Or hang on, it might be the Alps.
OR those amazing wine terraces along Lac Leman. Maybe we just can’t decide.
A fitting end to our Via Francigena highlights reel, don’t you think?
It sounds absolutely incredible!!! Need to somehow ask work to give me four months off!
It really was an incredible experience! You could try out one of the best bits first to get a taste for it!? Switzerland may be calling you this summer…
Hi Luke and Nell
I’ve just stumbled across your website while looking for some information about the «Via Francigena» around Calais / Arras. I live in Switzerland and have already walked the part from the French border to Switzerland down to Lausanne. And maybe one day I am going to walk all the way from my home to Rome, or even from Canterbury to Rome, as you did.
Thanks for sharing your thoughts and slow trips.
Michael
Thank you for the nice message Michael!
We enjoyed going over/through the Jura mountains to get into Switzerland. After Pontarlier the route was spectacular following the river Loue! Ornans was a special riverside village.
Lausanne is definitely one of the best cities we’ve visited. Had a great atmosphere. And the geography of the city was fascinating.
Lausanne to the Great St Bernard Pass hospice is up there with the best section of the entire path, so don’t miss that if you start from home in Switzerland. Best to do the whole thing of course though 😉
Happy planning, and if you have any questions, send over to luke@whatifwewalked.com!
Cheers,
Luke and Nell
Hey guys! Thank you so much for making this fun blog :). I lived in Tuscany for two years, but I didn’t own a car, so I was mostly confined to the city. Once I found out about the Via Francigena, I knew I wanted to walk it. Now looking at this, I think the 10-day Tuscany section here is where I need to start. Going to order that book you recommend.
Question, how safe did you feel? Nell, would you consider walking that section alone? (I’ve travelled a lot, but I haven’t done long walks alone, so wanted to ask!)
Thanks very much Breena! Where did you live in Tuscany? We lived there before we walked through on the VF! Lucca to Siena is a very good section to tackle on your own, because you will meet other people (tourists and pilgrims) along the way. Nell says she would feel safe doing that section on her own!
Oh- And one more question: I live in the U.S. so I’m having trouble ordering the Italian Via guidebook you recommend… any tips? Thanks!!!
You will find the Terre di Mezzo guidebook in any Italian city along the route, so you could pick it up when you arrive. Or try and order from the uk version of amazon, and get it shipped across the pond…? Bear in mind that the first option would require you to follow a guidebook in Italian (but we did this and enjoyed learning more Italian along the way – the maps are the most useful thing in the book to be honest)!
Great commentary. Thanks very much. We have just finished the Via di Francesco and we were thinking of starting the Via Francesca somewhere in southeastern France in early May next year. We know that Saint Bernard will probably not be open until June sometime but is there anywhere else before that where we might have to worry about the route being under snow? We are not worried about the possibility of occasional small snowfalls but rather where the route itself is under snow and hard or impossible to follow..
Thanks
Hi Tim, thanks very much! We live in Umbria at the moment, right on the St Francis Way, so may have seen you stroll right on by! If you start from Besancon in eastern France in early May you’ll make it through the Via Francigena, over the Jura mountains and Alps without an issue. There will be some snow in the Alps, but manageable, and because the path is close to the pass road, if you feel uncomfortable or it is too deep in a patch, you can just use the road. The pass will be open at the end of May most likely. Good luck! Luke & Nell
Luke and Nell,
How beautiful. I begin from Canterbury 13 June 19. Can’t wait. Glad you made it. Where next:)
How exciting! It’s a truly epic journey. It gives so much back to you after doing it. We wish you all the best for it!
We have some exciting walks planned for this year in Europe and a little further afield 🙂 🙂 Keep an eye on the blog for more walking inspo and info!
L&N
Thank you both for an absolutely fantastic VF guide, so inspiring. I’ve done the Camino Frances with a friend, but am thinking of doing the VF by myself. I’m aware that there are far fewer people on the VF and fear that it could be quite a lonely road? What are your thoughts?
It’s a long, long way! But you will meet people along the route, especially in Switzerland and Italy. France is a lot quieter. At times it will be lonely, we think, but you will enjoy the interactions you have even more!!
Luke & Nell
Hi. My husband and I are trying to get to the home we purchased in Italy two years ago before this Covid event. It needs tons of work but once we are finally there for good, we want to at least walk the Lucca to Siena part. Is it okay to bring our two puppies with us? I assume I can find accommodations that accept furry kids, but do you think it is okay? Thank you guys
Hi Angela, sorry for the delay. How exciting. I hope you’re now in Italy enjoying your house. Have you walked Lucca to Siena yet? I think it depends on how confident you are with your dogs and how easy they are to control. They are a lot of dogs off leads in Italy, and out in the sticks, there are sometimes large white sheep guarding dogs that don’t take kindly to anything getting near their flock! So be careful.
Best wishes,
Luke
This looks fantastic! What would you recommend for a mother/daughter walk for three weeks?
The most exciting bit would be good, and you can pause along the way to soak up the scenery. Lausanne, up and over the pass, and down to Aosta. 165km-ish. Happy planning!
Hi, your blog is so inspiring. If I only have 2 days in May with my daughter on her birthday, which section would you recommend? We are both hiking fit.
So sorry this reply is so late! So, for next year, if you’re in Italy again, walk from San Miniato to San Gimignano. About 40km, stopping in Gambassi Terme overnight in the middle 🙂
Italy
Hello Nell and Luke, I am thinking of walking the Tuscany secton of VF. For a mid September start for two or three weeks. I have poked around the web a bunch. Here are my questions, but first a thank you.
-Do I need to bring a sleeping bag? I will travel fairly light, with a 24 Litre pack, which I used on Camino Norte in Spain.
-I hope to stay in ostelli, dormitories, hostels, and I am not planning on camping. Did you compile a list of places recently which you are able to share or post on the web?
Again, many thanks.
Hi,
Great blog! Did you come across any cyclists, I’m wondering if the cycle path runs pretty much alongside the hiking path?
Thanks 🙂
Sorry for delay, Ted. Yes, quite a few cyclists – sped by us! A lot of the VF is on quiet roads, or at least near to country roads, so you can stay loyal to the path as a cyclist very easily. Didn’t see any mountain bikers doing it, they were all road cyclists. Hope that helps.