It was one of the busiest trunk roads in Europe during the 12th and 13th centuries when between 500,000 and two million devotees each year, from every part of Europe, walked, rode or were carried along the 'camino' to Santiago de Compostela.

Today, the pilgrimage is enjoying a revival. Walkers take about a month to complete the 800-kilometre (500-mile) journey from Roncesvalles Pass on the Spanish side of the Pyrenees or Saint-Jean-Pied-de-Port on the French side.  The main trail is through Puente la Reina, La Rioja, Burgos, Leon and finally crossing Galicia to Santiago de Compostela.

The Way of St James is marked intermittently by the shell icon, the symbol of the saint and the pilgrimage.  The shell became the route's symbol as early pilgrims carried back home a Galicia scallop shell as proof of their journey.

With almost 1800 fine historical buildings along the way, the route links great cathedrals, fine churches and other monuments, many of which were built as stages in the journey for the stream of pilgrims passing through.  Among these is the 13thC Augustinian monastery at Roncesvalles which supported one of the earliest pilgrim's hospices.  

At Leon, once the capital of Christian Spain in the 10th and 11th centuries, the remarkable Gothic cathedral is known for its' beautiful stained glass windows and the 11C Basilica Isidora for its' frescoed ceilings.

The varied succession of paths trail across the Pyrenees; through the vineyards of Rioja and extensive stunted oak  forest where bandits once hid; over a Roman bridge 205m long with 20 arches; and along the rolling fertile valleys of Galicia, past villages where traditionally pilgrims washed in the streams before approaching the ancient pilgrim's outlook at Monte de Gozo (Mountain of Joy) for a first glimpse of the towers of Santiago.

You enter the medieval city on foot as pilgrims have done for a thousand years to seek the shrine that is the climax to this legendary journey.

Santiago de Compostela's 11thC cathedral is where the tomb of Sant Iago el Mayor (St James the Great), patron saint of Spain, is reputedly built over.  Legend says the remains of the apostle were carried by boat from Jerusalem to this burial place.

A noon mass is held for pilgrims, a feature of which is the huge, swinging, smoking botafumeiro; a 200 pound incense burner hauled by a pole by eight red-robed priests.

ITINERARY

The walking holiday journey of 708 kms between Roncesvalles and Santiago de Compostela is divided into five consecutive stages as follows:

Stage 1 - RONCESVALLES TO LOGRONO - 131 KMS  8 days / 7 nights

Stage 2 - LOGRONO TO BURGOS  -  119 KMS   7 days / 6 nights

Stage 3 - BURGOS TO MANSILLA DE LAS MULAS  -  156 KMS  10 days / 9 days

Stage 4  -  LEON TO O CEBREIRO  -  149 KMS   9 days / 8 nights

Stage 5  -  O CEBREIRO TO SANTIAGO DE COMPOSTELA  -  153 KMS   9 days /8 nights

For more information on each stage contact A Walker's World