Where to next?
The ways in Czechia
The ways of St James in Europe
Are you tempted to take your pilgrimage beyond South Moravian borders? In neighbouring countries, St. James’ pilgrims are warmly welcomed too. We bring you a more detailed overview of the Polish and Austrian routes.
The network of St. James’ Ways in Poland is relatively dense. As early as Roman times, trade routes connected southern Europe with the Baltic coast – most famously the Amber Road. These routes gained renewed importance in the 10th century, when the states of Central Europe began to take shape. Particularly significant were the roads linking Bohemia, via Silesia and Lusatia, with Greater Poland. Diplomats, merchants, craftsmen, knights and, of course, pilgrims travelled along them.
The Via Regia (the “Great Road”), also known as the Royal Road, was one of the most important transport routes in Central Europe throughout the Middle Ages. Today’s St. James’ Way following the Via Regia traces its late medieval course, a period when Lower Silesia – then part of the Lands of the Bohemian Crown – experienced its greatest prosperity. The present-day section from Góra Św. Anny through Opole, Wrocław and Legnica to Zgorzelec marks the beginning of today’s Via Regia.
The Gniezno–Zgorzelec/Görlitz–Prague Way of St James
The Gniezno–Prague St. James’ Way seeks to recreate a route first mentioned in 1563 as one of three pilgrimage roads linking Poland with the rest of Europe. The historic route passed through Poznań, Leszno, Głogów, Zgorzelec (Görlitz) and Zittau.
In 2008, the trail was officially opened on Czech territory. The Zittau Route continues from Zittau through Český Dub and Stará Boleslav to Prague.
Your pilgrimage can begin as early as Olsztyn in Poland, where the Polish Way (Droga Polska, Camino Polaco) leads to the gingerbread city of Toruń and onwards to Gniezno.
The ways of St James in Austria
Today’s main St. James’ Way in Austria enters the country at its eastern border from Bratislava and continues through Vienna, St. Pölten, Linz, Salzburg and Innsbruck, before heading west into Switzerland.
The eastern section of the Austrian Camino in Lower Austria has an ancient history. Evidence of this can be found in the two churches of St. James in Wolfsthal and Regelsbrunn, as well as in the circular chapel in Petronell, built by the Knights Templar. Vienna was, naturally, a key starting point for pilgrims. Other important landmarks along the way include the monasteries of Göttweig and Melk — the latter perhaps known to you from Umberto Eco’s novel The Name of the Rose.
The way of St James in the Weinviertel Region
The Hainburg Gate (Porta Hungarica) is said to have been the first place where travellers from Eastern Europe passed on their way to the tomb of the Apostle James. Even today, the Danube from Hainburg to Linz forms an imaginary guiding line along which the historic route from Budapest via Vienna continues westward.
A group of enthusiasts from the Weinviertel region decided to reconnect this pilgrimage route from Lviv in Ukraine, through Kraków in Poland, and bring it all the way to Vienna. They marked a St. James’ Way from Mikulov and connected it to the main Austrian Camino in Mautern an der Donau. From there, pilgrims can continue through Upper Austria and Salzburg to Tyrol.
The way of St James in Tyrol
Three magnificent main Tyrolean routes lead through the region:
From the north, the Way enters from southern Germany into Kufstein, follows the Inn Valley westward through Innsbruck and over the Arlberg Pass, continuing towards the Bernese Oberland. From the east, the route comes from the Carinthian Drava Valley to Lienz in East Tyrol and continues through the Puster Valley. From the south, the St. James’ Way leads via Brixen and Sterzing into Tyrol’s Wipp Valley. From the Brenner Pass, it continues into the Inn Valley towards Innsbruck, where pilgrims are welcomed by the magnificent Cathedral of St. James.
www.jakobsweg-tirol.net
The way of St James in Styria
This 154-kilometre regional route runs between Graz and Lavamünd. It is divided into eight stages ranging from 14 to 27 km, with good accommodation available at each day’s destination.
Some stages are physically demanding, with daily ascents ranging from 204 to as much as 1,189 metres. The panoramic views are breathtaking, but be well prepared — the alpine environment can surprise you with cold, snow and fog.