Pilgrimage: Gathering insights along the way
Although fewer and fewer people worldwide describe themselves as religious, pilgrimages are still very much in vogue. Our author Ina has already completed a pilgrimage of around 1.000 kilometers. In this article, she shares her experiences.
In 2024, almost half a million people made pilgrimages to Santiago de Compostela – a record. The Way of St. James, which has led pilgrims to the tomb of the Apostle James in northwestern Spain since the Middle Ages, is the most famous pilgrimage route in the world. Since 1994, the number of pilgrims has increased more than thirtyfold – and many other pilgrimage routes are also gaining popularity. However, not only the number of pilgrims, but also their motives have changed over time.
Why people go on pilgrimage
In the past, pilgrims primarily sought repentance or the fulfillment of a vow. Today, many are driven by a general search for meaning and direction—no wonder in a world that seems increasingly out of joint. I myself have made two pilgrimages. In 2017, I walked 40 kilometers in 880 days from the French city of Le Puy-en-Velay to Pamplona, Spain. In 2022, I hiked 10 kilometers from Porto to Santiago de Compostela in 240 days. Neither of my walks had religious reasons, but both have had a profound impact on me.
Three quarters of pilgrims experience positive changes
When I set out on my first pilgrimage in 2017, I was carrying a lot of luggage—and not just in my backpack. My sister had died the year before, my relationship was hanging by a thread, and I wasn't feeling entirely comfortable in my job anymore. I'd read in a magazine that three-quarters of pilgrims on the Camino de Santiago gain insights that positively change their lives. Not a bad rate, I thought—and I was hooked. I wanted to find out if I could be one of the lucky 75 percent. So I quit my job, applied to two universities for a master's degree in sustainability management, bought a pilgrim's guide and hiking gear, and boarded a bus to France in June.
Pilgrimage as a physical and mental challenge
If there was one thing that tipped the scales for me to go on a pilgrimage, it was a phone call with my mom. When I told her about my idea, she spontaneously said, "Oh, Ina, that's not for you!" And maybe she was completely right. I, her delicate youngest child, had never before hiked for more than a few hours at a time. I had numerous ailments, didn't tolerate every type of food, and had never particularly enjoyed physical challenges. But my mom's doubts motivated the stubborn child in me: now more than ever! And even though I repeatedly reached my physical and mental limits, the pilgrimage was a kind of fast-forward coming-of-age for me. Because I managed it. Alone. On foot. Without any help. And afterwards, I was at least physically fitter than I had ever been before in my life.
Processing grief while on pilgrimage
In 2017, less than a year had passed since my sister's death, and it dragged me relentlessly into unimagined depths. I never expected that a pilgrimage would vanish this leaden sadness into thin air. But it felt right to give this grief a fitting context with a hike like this. On the 880 kilometers through France and Spain, I stopped almost daily in one of the numerous churches and chapels along the way. There I found time and peace to think of my sister. When I was alone, I sang her our Irish blessing. And cried until the tears dried up. For the moment. Until the next chapel. Talking to other pilgrims also helped. Many of them had similar experiences of loss – and so I felt less alone in my grief.
Pilgrimage enables real encounters instead of small talk
Nowhere have I had as many intense conversations with strangers as on my pilgrimages. Superficial small talk, however, remained the exception. Instead, every conversation with a pilgrim usually began with the following three questions: Where did you start? How far are you walking? And why are you here? The third question often cuts to the core of the person you're talking to. Stories of loss, heartbreak, and the search for meaning open doors for profound encounters on equal terms. No matter what you do for a living. No matter how much money you have. Here, it only depends on how human you are.
Gathering life lessons while on a pilgrimage
During my first pilgrimage, I had two life-changing insights. The first: I don't need much. Good shoes, a change of clothes, a towel, food, drink—and a pen and paper. Every evening, I wrote a letter to my deceased sister, recording what had moved me. This routine awakened another realization in me: I want to write more. Even as a child, I had dreamed of becoming a writer, but abandoned the idea because you supposedly couldn't make a living from it. On the Camino de Santiago, I met Geraldine, a French woman who wrote professionally herself. She encouraged me to put my plans for a theory-heavy master's degree aside and become a freelance writer. Eight years later, I can say: it worked.
Pilgrimage can help you accept your own limits
On my second pilgrimage in spring 2022, everything was different. This time, I already knew I could do it. Instead, this hike was more about accepting that I didn't have to do everything. Originally, I had firmly planned to to the end of the world to Finisterre. After arriving in Santiago de Compostela, however, the weather forecast for the following days was not good at all. So I decided that was enough. I didn't have to push myself beyond my limits and run the last 90 kilometers through rain and mud – an important lesson.
Slow Travel: Pilgrimage as an alternative to fast-paced package tourism
When I hear how much and how far people travel these days, I sometimes feel dizzy. A few days in Ibiza, a week on a cruise ship to the North Cape, New Year's Eve to New York – ever further, ever more often, ever faster. We travel as if on a consumer frenzy, and the harder we work, the more exotic the destination has to be. Neither the speed nor the comfort can keep up with pilgrimage – and that's a good thing. Pilgrimage is a true alternative to fast-paced package tourism. Slower. More arduous. More painful. More intense. And it lasts longer. Because pilgrimage is a path that moves not only the feet, but also the soul.
There is not just one Way of St. James
Anyone who has now become interested in going on a pilgrimage themselves does not have to walk all the way to Santiago de Compostela. And even those who absolutely want to reach St. James's tomb have a wide selection of routes. On the Iberian Peninsula alone, there are 16 different Ways of St. JamesThe Camino Francés is the most well-known and, accordingly, has excellent pilgrimage infrastructure. However, it begins on the very first day with a crossing of the Pyrenees—not an easy start. Four Ways of St. James lead through France, including the Via Podiensis, which I traveled. Those who embrace the "the journey is the destination" concept can also make the pilgrimage in stages. One particularly beautiful stage is the route from Le Puy-en-Velay to Conques: 205 kilometers in 10 days lead through enchanting landscapes.
Pilgrimages off the Way of St. James
There are also alternatives beyond the Camino de Santiago. Here's a small selection:
- The Franconian Way (Via Francigena) runs 3.000 kilometers from Canterbury through France and Switzerland to Rome
- The St. Olav's Way route network covers 5.000 kilometers and runs through Denmark, Sweden and Norway.
- The St. Martin's Way connects the birthplace of St. Martin in Hungary with his burial place in Tours, France. In between, the 2.500-kilometer route runs through Austria, Germany, Luxembourg, and Belgium.
Another exciting article by Ina on WAY OF ST. JAMES
Photos: unsplash / Damien Dufour, Ina Hiester
Ina Hiester
Ina is a digital nomad and travels through Europe by land and sea. The journalist is always on the lookout for special places for Good Travel, philosophizes about travel in her column, takes photographs, makes music and writes articles on all kinds of environmental and sustainability topics.
Tabea Scholtz
When I had read a quarter of the text, I thought: She has a good
Write. How wonderful that this has become a calling. Thank you for this article; it touched me deeply. ❤