Experience of the German routes

[seoige]

Hi I've been lurking on the fringes of the Forum for some time but now, with a little persuasion from a forum contributor, I'm stepping out of the shadows to ask a question.
This Summer I'm starting my second Camino beginning a little further north this time in Nurnberg. I'll be walking in stages-Germany in 3, Switzerland in 2, France in 4/5 and Spain in 4 stages.
I know there's great information on the Forum about the French routes (including Le Puy to Saint Jean Pied de Port the route I'll be joining up with) and I also reference the Camino Mundi site.
But my query is has anyone on the Forum walked on the German Routes? If so I would be very interested in their Jacobsweg experiences.
Seoige

 

[sillydoll]

This article was published in our CSJ newsletter AMIGOS:

The “Franconian-Swabian Way of St. James” (Fränkisch-Schwäbischer Jakobsweg) links Würzburg with Caminos de Santiago in Switzerland, France and Spain onto Santiago de Compostela. This route is entirely marked with the shells and/or arrows. After some years of preparation, in the year 1999, the „Fränkisch-Schwäbischer Jakobsweg“ was opened by the Association Fränkische St. Jakobus-Gesellschaft e. V. Würzburg.
The Way connects Würzburg with Ulm, two important towns with medieval pilgrims’ traditions. The “Fränkisch-Schwäbischer Jakobsweg“ begins in Würzburg at the
former Church of St. James, which in the past was part of the monastery of Irish monks, called the “Franconia Apostles”, who came in the 7th century to convert the folk to the Christian belief. The Camino passes charming wine villages, vineyards, along the river Main, crosses a fertile, intensively cultivated agricultural plain, called “the Franconian Meseta”. Finally the pilgrim reaches a world-famous medieval town, Rothenburg upon Tauber. “Rothenburg ob der Tauber” posseses a Church of St. James with numerous art treasures, eg one altar of 1466 with depictions of the Legend of St. James and the Chicken Miracle and another altar of 1504, carved by the famous sculptor Tilman Riemenschneider.
Further on in the towns Rosenberg and Hohenberg (which had a Confraternity of St.
James since 1526) the pilgrim finds unusual examples of modern Christian art (winged altar
and windows), made by the artist and priest Sieger Köder. Behind the Church of St. James
in Bargau, The Way leads up to the heights of the Swabian hilly area (Schwäbische Alb) with
attractive trails. The pilgrim walks through villages with great medieval works of art in their churches and then he reaches the university town Ulm. The Gothic “Münster” of Ulm has the world’s highest church steeple.
From Ulm the Way goes to Konstanz on Lake Constance and from there to Genf in Switzerland and further on to Le Puy en Velay in France. Würzburg to Ulm: approximately 268 km Ulm to Konstanz: approximately 160 km

 

[rolf]

Hi Seioge,
I've walked part of the Swiss Jakobsweg - the waymarking is excellent, accommodation is not an issue, landscape is stunning, mainly German and Swiss pilgrims.
Please let me know if you have any specific questions, I'm more than happy to help.
Rolf

 

[seoige]

Sil,
You really are a phenomenon and thank you for that information.
I've actually got the German section of my route pretty much planned out:-Nurnberg, Eichstatt (this section was only 'revived' 2 or 3 years ago so don't know if anyone from the forum has walked it yet) Donauwoth, Augsburg, Memmingen and Lindau then crossing the the Lake into Switzerland and heading for St Gallen. I've a choice of 2 route options from Augsburg to Memmingen but haven't decided which one I'll follow just yet.
Whilst all/any top tips, best/worst of etc are most welcome what I'm trying to get is a handle on is the 'feel' of the Jacobsweg(s) so I'm keen to get some experiential feedback from Forum members.
Thank you
Seoige

 

[maricristina]

Gerhilde Fleischer has led a group walking from Nurnberg to Konstanz each May for many years to update the marking on this route. It is a most interesting route with beautiful villages and churches. The countryside is varied and the paths very good though it is not "challenging" country. The people were most welcoming. Since we were with a group we stayed in Gasthaus so we cannot comment on other pilgrim accommodation. However the CSJ have published two guides by Alison Raju which could be useful to you, Pilgrim Guides to the Roads through Europe, "Nurmberg to Konstanz" and "Via Gebbennensis" available from CSJ. (office@csj.org.uk/bookshop)
maricristina

 

[jl]

I have had no experience of walking this path, but until last week I had intended to take a path from Poland, down through the Czech republic to Prague and then out to Regensburg. I was having difficulty finding out about paths through Germany (partly because I wanted to go via Passau) and so had decided to follow my own path along the Danube to Passau, then the via Nova to Salzburg , along the Tryol to Switzerland and from there along to Geneva, and conclude in Le Puy en Velay (where I began in 2007). For a variety of reasons that path is now postponed and I am planning to do a shorter walk along the Camino Mozarabe and the via de la Plata instead. I have a rough itinerary planned from about Torun in Poland if that is any use to anyone. regards, Janet

 

[sillydoll]

Would this website be of any use to anyone?

http://www.oekumenischer-pilgerweg.de/index.php

 

[makoto]

Hi Seoige

http://www.deutsche-jakobswege.de/wege-uebersicht.html This site is unbelievably rich in indispensable information, namely map and link to the list of places to stay. You may know how to benefit from Google KML. In case you don’t here is how.

The site has the map on the right and Jakobsweg names on the left. Referencing the map you click on the Jakobsweg on the left. The specific trail map will appear. Under the Google map is ‘Groessere Kartenansicht’. Clicking on this expand the map to the half screen width. There is a double arrowmark just outside the upper left of the map. Clicking on this will expand the map to the full screen width. Now zoom in on the trail. You can make a map of the trail say at 1/25000 (500m scale) or even street name level if you in succession take the snapshot(print scrn) of the map along the trail. (I didn’t find the site last year but I will make use of it this year. I make jpg images instead of printing and store them in iPod Touch)

Last spring I walked the oekumenische Pilgerweg from Goerlitz to Vacha, and the Jakobsweg from Nuernberg to Konstanz. Unless you join group walk, you are pretty much alone.

The oekuminische Pilgerweg runs across the old East Germany. The guidebook The Oekumenische Pilgerweg has the trail map and list of herbergs. The trail is very flat and perhaps monotonous. Rich in culture and history, if you like J.S.Bach and company and Reformation (Wartburg and all). Inexpensive if in peregrino style. I spent about 20E a day, including food, choosing the least expensive in the guidebook’s list of herbergs. Notice (reservation) to herberg is necessary. I met one other walker during these three weeks and walked with her 2 days.

I joined Gerhilde Fleischer’s group from Nuernberg to Konstanz (to Brochenzell). Gerhilde Fleischer and the Jakobusweg Nuernberg-Konstanz seem inseparable. Three or four church visits a day that have bearings on the Jakobsweg. Gerhilde guides the group through churches and trail. When walking alone, local churches are usually locked unless they are at museum quality and open to the general public. Joining the group, the local churches are opened and welcome the pilgrims. Great. The group stays at Gasthaus; hence more expensive, room (average 30E) plus food.

If interested in the feel of these trails, there are slideshows: search YouTube with ‘makharada’, then go to Der Oekumenische Pilgerweg 2009 and Auf dem Jakobusweg von Nuernberg 1, 2, 3 (BGM pilgrim’s group singing)

Mak

 

[seoige]

Perhaps discussion of the German-speaking routes would be worth a separate section? I don't know how much English-speaking interest there might be.

I think thats a really great idea and there are other sections for the various routes in France. Is this possible?
Seoige