About

• Features

  The Camino de Santiago can be walked from a number of starting points. The one definite route is the pilgrimage route that ends in Santiago de Compostela. One of the most popular routes is the French Way. The section of the route from Pamplona to Logroño is particularly beautiful, with a straight stretch of road through wheat fields and, in early spring, flowers in full bloom, adding color to the journey. The area is also home to a number of historical buildings and beautiful townscapes.

• History

  The pilgrimage began with the legend that a bishop and his followers, guided by starlight after receiving a prophecy about the remains of the martyred Saint James, discovered his tomb in Santiago de Compostela. The legend attracted much attention and many pilgrims came to visit the site as the cult of relics gained momentum in Europe during the Middle Ages. According to extant records, the earliest pilgrimage was in 951, and at its peak in the 12th century, as many as 500,000 pilgrims visited the site annually.

• Nature

  With the exception of the mountainous region of Atapuerca in northern Spain, which is home to a wide variety of flora and fauna, most of the route follows farmlands, ranches, forests, and towns. Wild animals are rare, but cattle, horses, goats, and other livestock are common. When crossing the Pyrenees, the route passes through the Napoleonic Route, which was taken by Napoleon during his expedition to Spain. Although one might expect steep mountain roads, there are well-maintained asphalt paved and gravel roads.

• Santiago de Compostela in Spain, where Saint James is buried, is one of the three major Christian pilgrimage sites along with Rome and Jerusalem. With 1,000 years of history, there are four main pilgrimage routes to Santiago de Compostela, all of which are registered as World Heritage sites. The most popular of these routes is the French Way. Many people start from Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port on the French side near the border and Roncesvalles on the Spanish side. The journey across the Pyrenees is 780 to 900km, which would take about a month, walking an average pace of 30 kilometers a day. The Pyrenees crossing has an elevation difference of 1,200m. Incidentally, this road is also called the “Napoleon Route” because Napoleon once walked it during his expedition to Spain. The pilgrim statues seen along the way always bear a scallop shell, a walking stick, and a gourd. The scallop is both the symbol of Saint James and of the pilgrim. The route is well marked with road signs and you can easily stop by towns. Albergues (pilgrim inns) are scattered throughout the cities of Spain and southern France, offering overnight lodging to pilgrims. Anyone with a pilgrim’s notebook can stay overnight for a modest charge of 8 to 15 euros or a donation. The notebook is stamped serving as proof of the pilgrimage. The highlight of this pilgrimage route is the section from Pamplona, famous for its bullfighting festival, to Logroño, the capital of the state of Rioja. Travellers can enjoy beautiful historic townscapes, such as Puente la Reina, who finds its origins in the beautiful Romanesque stone bridge, the “Bridge of the Queen,” as well as the palace of King Navarre in the “Starry City” of Estella. In Burgos, there is a magnificent Gothic cathedral, registered as a World Heritage site. From here to Castilla, the vast plateau Meseta stretches endlessly. It is an arid plateau that covers most of central Spain, and in summer it is a harsh section of the country with no roadside trees to block the sun. León, the second largest city after Burgos, has numerous sights to see, such as the León Cathedral with its beautiful stained glass windows and the Romanesque Basílica de San Isidoro, both certain to relieve your travel fatigue. After passing through the Meseta, the most difficult part of the pilgrimage route, the Ilago and O Cebreiro passes, await. Once in the green state of Galicia, there is only 100km to go to Santiago de Compostela, where the number of pilgrims rapidly increases, as it is required to walk at least 100km to receive a pilgrimage certificate, known as a compostela, which was a type of letter of atonement in the Catholic Church in the Middle Ages. After arriving at Santiago de Compostela, the Portico of Glory of the cathedral welcomes pilgrims who made the long journey.