Pilgrimage is something very special for many people, whether they’re believers or not. Hiking, experiencing nature, meeting like-minded people and experiencing yourself – these are the motives that unite all pilgrims. In this Collection, I’ll show you that you can also experience these things.

With the growing interest in pilgrimage, the number of routes to Santiago de Compostela throughout Europe has also increased in recent years. For many pilgrims, Santiago de Compostela is THE route they long to do. However, there’s now a huge network of routes that ultimately lead to the famous northern Spanish pilgrimage site. This Collection features the Way of St. James (Jakobsweg) from Sankt Wendel to Saarbrücken, which opened in 2010.

The route takes you almost 60 kilometres (36 mi) from Sankt Wendel in the north of Saarland to the state capital of Saarbrücken, right on the German-French border. There’s something for everyone along the way: historic pilgrimage sites, impressive churches and monasteries, beautiful nature and plenty of opportunities to experience the ‘Saarvoir-vivre’ because people know how to have a good time in the Francophile Saarland. The route is exceptionally varied. You’ll experience open, wide landscapes in the sparsely-populated Sankt Wendel region and the primaeval Saar Coal Forest just outside the city gates.

Away from the beautiful Saarland countryside, there’s plenty to see too. The Way of St. James takes you to some interesting pilgrimage sites. In addition to the basilica in Sankt Wendel, you can visit Germany's oldest monastery in Tholey, where you can also stay overnight. In Marpingen, you’ll pass the place where around 40,000 pilgrims celebrated an apparition of the Virgin Mary in October 1999. There’s some Saarland mining history along the way too, with ancient winding towers dotting the landscape. You can marvel at one of the old mining facilities up close in Göttelborn.

Both the starting point in Sankt Wendel and the finish in Saarbrücken are well connected to the rail network, so you can easily travel by train. If three stages aren’t enough for you, you can also join the Way of St. James to the city of Metz at the end. So, lace up your hiking boots and look forward to a special pilgrimage experience in Saarland!