Top 10 pilgrimage routes around the world
Not solely for the spiritual, pilgrimages are epic hiking routes that take in soul-stirring landscapes. Here are 10 of the best, from Ireland to Israel.
1. Abraham’s Path, The Middle East
This epic 1,243-mile route starts in Harran, Turkey, where God is said to have called upon Abraham to ‘go forth’, and rambles on through Egypt, Palestine, Israel and Jordan.
2. Via Francigena, UK, France & Italy
A 1,200-mile route connecting Canterbury to Rome via France, the Swiss Alps and the Italian Apennines, passing churches and shrines devoted to St Francis.
3. Adam’s Peak, Sri Lanka
In Sri Lanka’s Central Highlands, this conical, 7,360ft-high peak is home to a footprint that’s said to belong to — faith depending — Adam, Buddha or Shiva.
4. Caminho Português, Portugal & Spain
The wild Atlantic coast unravels before you on this uncrowded trail from Lisbon (380 miles) or Porto (140 miles) to Santiago de Compostela.
5. Mount Kailash, Tibet
This three-day, 32-mile circuit of sacred 21,778ft Mount Kailash in Tibet is a holy ritual said to bring good fortune.
6. Lourdes, France
The 92-mile Piemont Route connects St-Jean-Pied-de-Port and Lourdes, a holy pilgrimage site since 1858, when Bernadette Soubirous claimed to have witnessed 18 apparitions of the Virgin Mary.
7. St Magnus Way, Scotland
The wide-open horizons, space and silence of Orkney’s coastline enthrall on this 58-mile route honouring the island’s patron saint.
8. Kumano Kodō, Japan
This network of ancient trails dives into the remote, densely forested, shrine-topped mountains of the Kii Peninsula, Japan’s spiritual heartland.
9. Via Coloniensis, Germany
Grand abbeys and palaces punctuate this 152-mile trail, uniting the former Roman cities of Cologne and Trier, where fourth-century St Peter’s Cathedral is a highlight.
10. St Finbarr’s Way, Ireland
Traversing three mountain ranges, this 22-mile pilgrimage begins at the Top of the Rock in Dromdaleague, County Cork, where sixth-century monk St Finbarr once preached.
