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Jakobsweg - best walking routes in Germany in November

Jesso

New Member
Time of past OR future Camino
Camino Frances - SJPDP to Muxia - (2016)
de Madrid (2018)
Norte + Primitivo (start 24 June 2019)
Hi,

I walked the Camino Frances 2 years ago and loved the experience. Now living in Germany, I would love to love to walk here as well. I am located in Bavaria and have a week of holidays the first week in November.

Has anyone walked in November (I'm in Bavaria)? Are there many pilgrim's places to stay at? Is there accommodation in most towns on the Way or it is necessary to stop at the end of each stage listed on any websites detailing Jakobsweg? I know the Camino Frances has an abundance of accommodation along the way and that you can find accommodation at any town along the way. I don't want to assume the same and find it to be wrong!

As I have just moved to Germany, I have extremely limited German. I am thinking of starting in either Wurzburg or Nuremberg. I will be walking solo.

Thank you for any advice and suggestion!
 
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I have a limited experience about pilgrimages in Germany -I did a section of the Munich jakobsweg in March, some years ago. Probably there are more knowledgeable members of the forum. With this caveat, these are my two cents.
I think November could be tough because of the weather -you will need good, tried equipment; and careful planning.
Reservation will be almost mandatory -that depends on the route you choose, but the pilgrim's places I knew were mostly former pilgrims own homes; so, just three or four beds...I spent a night in a benedictine monastery, too. Gasthaus are needed options, sometimes.
Everything is more improvised, more spontaneous than in Spain. More expensive, too.
Guides (online and printed) I know are available only in German. For the former, try here Any good bookshop will have a section about trekking books, including pilgrimages. Same for many trekking shops, as the big Globetrotter franchise. Trekking is very popular, almost imprinted in the Bavarian identity.
As you already probably know, almost everybody under 50 speaks fluent English in cities; but this is not always true in villages, especially in less "touristy" places. People are not so used to pilgrims -you will be seen mostly as another trekking enthusiast. But they will be always polite and will try to help you.
I had a great walk. Hope you enjoy yours, too.
Buen camino!
 
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You should be aware though that this will be very different from a Camino Frances.

Yes, a very different experience. You will be almost certainly alone -I never met another pilgrim. Just crossed a couple of trekkers in a stage, walking in the opposite direction, and that was all.
It was cold and cloudy, with some snow storms. The photo in my avatar, btw, comes from this walk. But the Munich way goes along alpine foothills, so weather could be milder in the plains. Anyway, in my experience, November in Germany requires a really good jacket.
A tip: I got my pilgrim ausweis by mail with the kind Deutsche St Jakobus Gesselschaft It is "donativo".
Do consider the Munich way -the region is beautiful, with many monasteries and churches in the peculiar rococo style.
 
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Btw, I liked very much this sign in the jakobsweg. It seems like the announcement of a shoemaker, in old German (or Bavarian dialect) I'd love a translation...

upload_2017-10-5_8-14-11.jpeg
 
I have only walked in two areas of Germany Jesso, though none in November. At least walking in Nov you shouldn't have the same tick problem I had walking in Bavaria (Munich to Fussen) in July. Apparently tick fever can be quite an issue in summer in Bavaria. You are living there, and so you would know the likelihood of snow at that time of year. When I returned to walk in Germany in Feb. I began in Leipzig and followed the routes more or less in a straight line across to Cologne. I began walking those routes in the beginning of Feb. and deliberately chose them because they have a lower altitude and therefore there were more villages, thus more infrastructure and less likelihood of being stopped by snowfalls for long periods of time. Albergues were not as easy to find from Munich, but there were quite a few albergues on the way from Leipzig, some quite basic - church floors etc, but also quite cheap. If you click on this link you will access a really good map of Jakobsweg in Germany: -
http://www.deutsche-jakobswege.de/wege-uebersicht.html
You might also consider looking at this route - the Via Romea Germanica.
http://www.viaromeagermanica.com/
I am not sure about pilgrim accommodation, but they have pretty good PDFs with the route marked quite clearly, and this route goes through Bavaria if you are interested. I am planning on walking this route next March, from Stade to Rome. Their contact address has responded to several emails from me, very helpful.
 
I am located in Bavaria and have a week of holidays the first week in November..
If you are going to be in Germany for an extended period, there will be many opportunities for walking the Jakobsweg. I started at the Czech border at Eslarn, and walked through Nuremberg, Ulm and Konstanz in several stages over several years. That route connects with the Via Jacobi across Switzerland. Even walking in late May and early June, I was walking alone. I stayed in Gasthause or the occasional monastery.

The weather may be a considerable challenge, with chill and damp a certainty, not to mention the possibility of early snow. Dress in layers and be prepared. On the other hand, you might have a few very fine late fall days too. An extensive assortment of the Conrad-Stein "little yellow books" guidebooks with maps and lodging suggestions can be found in any bookstore in Germany.
 
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Btw, I liked very much this sign in the jakobsweg. It seems like the announcement of a shoemaker, in old German (or Bavarian dialect) I'd love a translation...

View attachment 36649

Tweaked for a little rhyme & rhythm, not a literal translation, don't use this to learn German!

hiking brings a lot of joy these days
but if the shoe pinches, it's a malaise.
to Rottenburg the road is not long
the shoemaker there will help you along
He patches and repairs in no time at all
also sells new shoes if that is your call
and if something is still wanting then
only the doctor next door is your man
 
Hi. I walked the Via Regia a few years ago in August. It is well served with pilgrim accommodation. Quirky feel. Really enjoyed it and met a sprinkling of pilgrims. Not expensive at all, I got by on ave 35 Euros per day. Not sure about the scene in November..
Also walked parts of the via Baltica and via Scandinavica. Less pilgrim oriented but still quite good. Quite a no of places where you can sleep in community centres etc... More expensive than via Regia, ave 45 Euro per night. Not sure about November though....
 
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When you say Via Regia. Where did you start and stop? There seems to be so very many routes.
 
Hi,

I walked the Camino Frances 2 years ago and loved the experience. Now living in Germany, I would love to love to walk here as well. I am located in Bavaria and have a week of holidays the first week in November.

Has anyone walked in November (I'm in Bavaria)? Are there many pilgrim's places to stay at? Is there accommodation in most towns on the Way or it is necessary to stop at the end of each stage listed on any websites detailing Jakobsweg? I know the Camino Frances has an abundance of accommodation along the way and that you can find accommodation at any town along the way. I don't want to assume the same and find it to be wrong!

As I have just moved to Germany, I have extremely limited German. I am thinking of starting in either Wurzburg or Nuremberg. I will be walking solo.

Thank you for any advice and suggestion!
Hi,

I walked the Camino Frances 2 years ago and loved the experience. Now living in Germany, I would love to love to walk here as well. I am located in Bavaria and have a week of holidays the first week in November.

Has anyone walked in November (I'm in Bavaria)? Are there many pilgrim's places to stay at? Is there accommodation in most towns on the Way or it is necessary to stop at the end of each stage listed on any websites detailing Jakobsweg? I know the Camino Frances has an abundance of accommodation along the way and that you can find accommodation at any town along the way. I don't want to assume the same and find it to be wrong!

As I have just moved to Germany, I have extremely limited German. I am thinking of starting in either Wurzburg or Nuremberg. I will be walking solo.

Thank you for any advice and suggestion!
How did things work out for you? I am in Bavaria for two years (2020-2022) and previously walked Ponferrada to Santiago on limited schedule—-would love to walk route from Czechia to... wherever i can, across Bavaria. I also have Limited skills in German language, but working on it. I am particularly interested in what you found for accommodations—-where and how!
 
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At the moment it is not possible to find accommodation in Germany as everything is closed due to Corona. So far we don't know when guesthouses, hotels etc. will open again. General hope is that this will change shortly before Pentecost.

There are usually several options for staying overnight along the Jakobsweg. The pilgrim guides usually list overnight accommodations for the individual stages. As a rule, these are simple inns, pensions or accommodations in parishes or private rooms, from pilgrims who like to take in other pilgrims.

To stay at parishes or private homes, however, it requires a bit of planning ahead. You should usually have contacted the people beforehand in order to ask whether there is an opportunity to spend the night there during the planned period (phone or mail). This is a bit more complex in advance, but for me these were the most appealing/satisfying stays.

The rooms are usually very simple, sometimes you only sleep on a mattress, but the conversations and contacts that arise are great. And for you it could be a good opportunity to study some more german ;-).

Compared to the Camino Frances, some things are not as spontaneous as in Spain, and you won't find an accommodation every 5 to 10 kilometers, but it usually works out. If you can't get a bed right on the Jakobsweg, you can also take the bus or train to the next bigger place, stay there for the night, and return the next day and continue walking.
 

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