Important/historic walking paths (pilgrimages, etc)
#1
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Important/historic walking paths (pilgrimages, etc)
Good morning
What great routes/walks/pilgrimages have you done or would like to do one day (either all in one go or in parts at a time)? I'm mostly thinking by foot but I know there are some which lend themselves to cars or bikes, too. I don't necessarily mean walks with a religious or spiritual meaning, either (although I am sure many of them are, to the people who have done them for a particular reason).
I find myself thinking of El Camino quite a bit these days but there are so many others in so many places. El Camino itself can start from nearly anywhere in Europe, I understand. There is a Via Francigena in Italy which goes from France to Rome and which I've seen parts of in Tuscany (I haven't walked it).
Looking forward to hearing about this...
What great routes/walks/pilgrimages have you done or would like to do one day (either all in one go or in parts at a time)? I'm mostly thinking by foot but I know there are some which lend themselves to cars or bikes, too. I don't necessarily mean walks with a religious or spiritual meaning, either (although I am sure many of them are, to the people who have done them for a particular reason).
I find myself thinking of El Camino quite a bit these days but there are so many others in so many places. El Camino itself can start from nearly anywhere in Europe, I understand. There is a Via Francigena in Italy which goes from France to Rome and which I've seen parts of in Tuscany (I haven't walked it).
Looking forward to hearing about this...
Last edited by flygirl; Dec 30th, 2019 at 03:01 AM.
#2

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Some pilgrims, including the previous owner of this house, walk the Camino (Jabikspaad) all the way from St Jacobiparochie, near me, to Compostela. Now that is a walk!
There are lots of long distance paths in the UK, some truly ancient, like teh Ridgeway, tothers like teh coastal routes more modern. Same here in teh Netherlands where there are a several long distance paths, including the aforementioned Jabikspaad and the Pieterpad from Groningen to Maastricht. Many link up with long distance paths through other countries. The French have an excellent network.
I won't ever do it but this one, in Norway, sounds interesting. https://pilegrimsleden.no/en/
There are lots of long distance paths in the UK, some truly ancient, like teh Ridgeway, tothers like teh coastal routes more modern. Same here in teh Netherlands where there are a several long distance paths, including the aforementioned Jabikspaad and the Pieterpad from Groningen to Maastricht. Many link up with long distance paths through other countries. The French have an excellent network.
I won't ever do it but this one, in Norway, sounds interesting. https://pilegrimsleden.no/en/
#5

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I hope to do the Camino Frances from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port to Santiago this Spring. I would love to also do part of the Le Puy route (whole route is from Lyon to Saint-Jean Pied-de-Port where it hooks up with the Camino Frances). Particularly interested in Moissac Abbey for its fantastic Romanesque sculpture around the portal and cloister. Also very interested in the town of Conques and its Abbey Church of Sainte Foy.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbey_..._of_Sainte-Foy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abbey_..._of_Sainte-Foy
#6
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I wanted to know about walks people did other than in Europe. I already know the ones I'm interested in, in Europe.
#7

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I was just reading about the US rail trails and the plan to link them into a coast to coast walk. It sounds ambitious but wonderful.
There are of course other places with rail trails around. A great use of old railway routes, though nowadays perhaps trains on them would be even better.
There are of course other places with rail trails around. A great use of old railway routes, though nowadays perhaps trains on them would be even better.
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#9

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I think the term pilgrimage by definition means religious. Your entire post talks about Europe and asks about Europe, so I don't think there is any way the moderator could know, nor it is likely, that you really were asking about historic walks in the US.
#11


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"Any meaningful journey can be called a pilgrimage."
Yes. Pacific Crest Trail. Meaningful enough for several people to write books about their journey. One book (Strayed) became the basis of the movie "Wild."
https://www.cloudlineapparel.com/blo...hat-arent-wild
Similarly, the Appalachian Trail.
The only trail I've personally hiked is the John Muir Trail in California. In my much younger days...
Yes. Pacific Crest Trail. Meaningful enough for several people to write books about their journey. One book (Strayed) became the basis of the movie "Wild."
https://www.cloudlineapparel.com/blo...hat-arent-wild
Similarly, the Appalachian Trail.
The only trail I've personally hiked is the John Muir Trail in California. In my much younger days...
#12

Joined: Jan 2012
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I think almost all multi-day walks are hard work for most of us and we who do them must certainly have more feeling & commitment than to simply get from 1 place to another. That, for me, is the meaning of pilgrimage, the feeling I get from doing something hard and loving it.
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