Le Puy-en-Velay (French pronunciation: [lə pɥi ɑ̃ vəlɛ] (listen), literally Le Puy in Velay; Occitan: Lo Puèi de Velai [lu ˈpœj ðə vəˈlaj]) is the prefecture of the Haute-Loire department in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region of south-central France. Located near the river Loire, the city is famous for its cathedral, for a kind of lentil, for its lace-making, as well as for being the origin of the Chemin du Puy, one of the principal origin points of the pilgrimage route of Santiago de Compostela in France. In 2017, the commune had a population of 18,995.
