Camino de Santiago

The Way of St James or el Camino de Santiago has existed for over a thousand years. It was one of the most important Christian pilgrimages during medieval times. Legend holds that St. James's remains were carried by boat from Jerusalem to northern Spain where they were buried on the site of what is now the city of Santiago de Compostela.

There is not a single route; the Way can take one of any number of pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela. However a few of the routes are considered main ones. One main route also leads through Tyrol. In some thousand years pilgrimages history the pilgrims left behind some very interesting marks, which can be discovered when walking along the Camino de Santiago.

The routes of the Way of St. James

There are basically three Ways of St. James that pass through the Tyrol, ulimately heading westward. Of course, the pilgrims didn´t always follow these routes. Nowadays, many modern pilgrims also turn down a byroad or take detours of varying lengths. Signposted as the Ways of St. James are those paths where buildings, patronal cults, documents, etc. indicate a lively flow of pilgrims over the centuries. Over time, the routes have had had to adapt to political (e.g. war) adn geographical events (floods, rockfalls etc.).

From the north:

The Way of St. James from southern Germany tracks from Rosenheim to Kufstein and then westward along the Inn valley, through Innsbruck and then on to the Arlberg. In the Vorarlberg region it continues to Bludenz, Feldkirch, Liechtenstein and then into the Bernese Oberland.

From the east:

The Way of St. James passes through the Drau valley in Carinthia to Lienz and then along the Puster valley to Innichen, Bruneck and then finally northward to Brixen and into the Eisack valley. It then merges with the Way of St. James, coming up from the south.

From the south:

The Way of St James from Italy follows a course from the Salurner Klause to Bolzano and then northwards via Brixen and Sterzing into the Wipp valley. It then descends from the Brenner pass down into the Inn valley near Innsbruck.

Get to know the Tyrol as you've never seen it before! Set off on the Way.