Via Regia in Germany

[seanmcauley]

Pilgerweg. Walking from Gorlitz to leipzig- 10 days. Very quiet. Signage is good. Different sign - see photo. Stay in equivalent to albergues. Some attached to parishes. Some donation. On day 3. Language not a big problem. I've no German! - from Ireland.

 

[kelleymac]

Pilgerweg. Walking from Gorlitz to leipzig- 10 days. Very quiet. Signage is good. Different sign - see photo. Stay in equivalent to albergues. Some attached to parishes. Some donation. On day 3. Language not a big problem. I've no German! - from Ireland.

thanks for posting! I am thinking of doing this. Are some of these buildings pilgerherberge (albergues)?

 

[Maxsmart]

Thank you for posting this. I’ve wanted to walk a pilgrimage in Germany for years! How did you find your accommodations? Is there a guidebook somewhere?

 

[Madrood]

Thank you for posting this. I’ve wanted to walk a pilgrimage in Germany for years! How did you find your accommodations? Is there a guidebook somewhere?

Yes, you can order it from this link. There are also supplementals on the side of the same page. Afaik it's all in German.

 

[Madrood]

@seanmcauley how did it go?

 

[NickyWalking]

Hello. I am looking into walking a stretch of Via Regia. This September. If anyone has walked most of it, is there a part which would work for me, with the following preferences? Pretty views, and I realize pretty is relative, well marked sections, hostels/albergues/pilgrim places every 25 km or so. I'm happier with paths and trails, rather than roads. Which I feel most of us would agree. I suspect I'll walk two to three weeks.

From this post, it may not seem I've done much searching on the web, and I actually have. Some of the links and sites I've found, (and happy to share), have been in German. A drawback, given I'm an english speaker. And I don't know what areas or regions to look at - that go along Via Regia. And my final ask for help...I travel very light. I have a very lightweight sleeping bag or just a sleep liner. For most hostels along the way, which would you bring, since I likely won't bring both? Leipzig, random town chosen, temperature for September seems to average 10-21 C, or 50-70 F, for those of us not in the metric world Danke!

 

[lovingkindness]

Hello @NickyWalking.

another forum member, @SYates is writing a guide in English for the Via Regia with lots of detail. She has posted a draft of it here:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/live-updates-via-regia-ecumenical-pilgrims-way-germany.41092/

Happy planning!

 

[NickyWalking]

Hello @NickyWalking.

another forum member, @SYates is writing a guide in English for the Via Regia with lots of detail. She has posted a draft of it here:

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/live-updates-via-regia-ecumenical-pilgrims-way-germany.41092/

Happy planning!

Hello LovingKindness, Thanks for taking the time to reply. I did read that link before posting here. I saw it was dated 2016, so was looking for something more current. Am I understanding your post incorrectly? I interpreted it to mean that she was currently writing about a recent experience about Via Regia.

 

[Marc S.]

Hello @NickyWalking The excellent post by SYates from 2016 is still very usefull today, there have only been some changes in the accomodation (some Herbergen do not exist anymore, and there are some new ones) but the route description is still more or less valid (no major changes).

I walked from Gorlitz to Eisenach last June. I can not really advice what part is the prettiest, as I liked all of it. I can not remember whether there were sections which had more or less road walking than other sections. (Btw when I say road walking I mean walking on hard surface, but definitely not on busy roads).

I stayed in pilgrim accomodation (Herbergen) most nights, walking 20-25 km. stages. The pilgrim infrastructure is really good all along the way, with the exception of Leipzig (Sommerfeld Herberg has been closed) and Erfurt (both were closed last June but I am not sure whether this was permanent). I think you know the website by Oekumenischer Pilgerweg which keeps an update about changes in pilgrim accomodation ?

I would take a sleeping bag. Well I always do actually. But even in June (when the weather was very warm) it was actually a bit chilly in some of the Herbergen (old buildings).

If you have any further questions, please feel free to ask.

 

[lovingkindness]

Hello LovingKindness, Thanks for taking the time to reply. I did read that link before posting here. I saw it was dated 2016, so was looking for something more current. Am I understanding your post incorrectly? I interpreted it to mean that she was currently writing about a recent experience about Via Regia.

Hi there @NickyWalking

...When it comes to mapping, trail signs and the actual path underfoot little will have changed since @SYates posted her descriptions here on the forum. Accommodation for pilgrims alters from year to year though...

Cheers

 

[NickyWalking]

Hello @NickyWalking The excellent post by SYates from 2016 is still very usefull today, there have only been some changes in the accomodation (some Herbergen do not exist anymore, and there are some new ones) but the route description is still more or less valid (no major changes).

I walked from Gorlitz to Eisenach last June. I can not really advice what part is the prettiest, as I liked all of it. I can not remember whether there were sections which had more or less road walking than other sections. (Btw when I say road walking I mean walking on hard surface, but definitely not on busy roads).

I stayed in pilgrim accomodation (Herbergen) most nights, walking 20-25 km. stages. The pilgrim infrastructure is really good all along the way, with the exception of Leipzig (Sommerfeld Herberg has been closed) and Erfurt (both were closed last June but I am not sure whether this was permanent). I think you know the website by Oekumenischer Pilgerweg which keeps an update about changes in pilgrim accomodation ?

I would take a sleeping bag. Well I always do actually. But even in June (when the weather was very warm) it was actually a bit chilly in some of the Herbergen (old buildings).

If you have any further questions, please feel free to ask.

Hello Marc, and to LovingKindness and to SYates. Thanks to all of you for the helpful information, and specifically addressing my concerns. I do have a few more questions, for now. I did bring a book along, while walking some of Camino Norte. I would prefer not to, for this walk, as weight and space is important to me, because I like to travel very light. I have become better at seeing signs. Somewhat. But still found the ability, occasionally, to become lost. Did you use a mobile navigational aide? I'm wondering if AllTrails, which lists Via Regia, will be sufficient? And I would prefer not to carry the book because of space and weight, and wonder if I can do without it, to stay on the path and find Herbergen. @Marc S Did you find many pilgrims walking or you were often more alone? I realize you walked in June, and I will in September. And if not many pilgrims, I have read it's best to message ahead or the Herbergen may be closed, since few pilgrims. And I am familiar with the website you wrote of, Oekumenischer Pilgerweg, yet find to get an actual listing of Herbergen on this site, I believe, does not exist. I have followed all the links and did find a 5 page PDF, in German, which I sensed listed some Herbergen, but not most, or close to the 100+ which exist on this path. Danke.

 

[lovingkindness]

Hello @NickyWalking

* I carried a copy of the guide book
* I did'nt carry a navigating device, mobile phone or camera
* I did'nt make reservations.
*I carried a paper copy of the accommodation pdf provided by the website mentioned. It was very useful.
* I improvised also, talking with people I met along the way, asking for their advice and help in finding a place to sleep.
* I rarely met another pilgrim.

Here is a link to the accommodation pdf (2024) which you mention. At the bottom of the page click, ERGÄNZUNG 11. AUFLUNG

Guten Weg!

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

@NickyWalking , whilst I'm walking the Via Imperii, not the Via Regi, personally I found mapy.cz useful. It doesn't always specifically list the paths by name, but by finding the appropriate blue line you quickly see that it has Jakobsweg beside it; once you're on the trail it works really well. You can take a few photos of a physical map in order to have that for the general directions, without then having to carry the weight of the map itself.

 

[Marc S.]

As far as I know there is no listing of all accomodation on the internet. The PDF mentioned contains updates to the guidebook, but it is not a full list of all accomodation.

I walked with a guidebook and without a smartphone (just a simple mobile phone). The jakobswege-deutschland website has a link to download GPS tracks, but I did not use these.

I usually phoned a day in advance (or in the morning of the day of arrival) to announce my arrival and agree on a time of arrival. Or I phoned again when I was almost there. And in a few cases I just turned up.
It is not so much about Herbergen being closed, but they are run by volunteers who need to take some time off work or other daily duties to give you the key, so they often appreciate it when they know in advance that a pilgrim is coming. It all worked fine for me. But I have to add I speak German. (Of course many Germans speak perfect English but I think you can not take it for the granted, particularly in the former East & with people over 50.)

In three weeks I met 6 other pilgrims. When I first walked in September 2017 it was similar. So you need to be prepared to be on your own.

 

[NickyWalking]

I did think of another question. Of the Via Regis that you walked, how much was road, versus how much was trails in forests, or not road? I did a web search on this and came up empty. Any guesses? At all? And thanks. Again.

 

[NickyWalking]

Hello @NickyWalking

* I carried a copy of the guide book
* I did'nt carry a navigating device, mobile phone or camera
* I did'nt make reservations.
*I carried a paper copy of the accommodation pdf provided by the website mentioned. It was very useful.
* I improvised also, talking with people I met along the way, asking for their advice and help in finding a place to sleep.
* I rarely met another pilgrim.

Here is a link to the accommodation pdf (2024) which you mention. At the bottom of the page click, ERGÄNZUNG 11. AUFLUNG

Guten Weg!

Hello LovingKindness. Your reply is very helpful to me. Full of excellent advice. Danke!

 

[NickyWalking]

@NickyWalking , whilst I'm walking the Via Imperii, not the Via Regi, personally I found mapy.cz useful. It doesn't always specifically list the paths by name, but by finding the appropriate blue line you quickly see that it has Jakobsweg beside it; once you're on the trail it works really well. You can take a few photos of a physical map in order to have that for the general directions, without then having to carry the weight of the map itself.

Hi Peter, I'll give that site or application a go. mapy.cz Thanks for sharing with me. I have used map.me in the past and found that helpful. Particularly since I will be on more limited data, since the US plans are fairly pricey, and I put those on hold, while I'm in Europe.

 

[NickyWalking]

As far as I know there is no listing of all accomodation on the internet. The PDF mentioned contains updates to the guidebook, but it is not a full list of all accomodation.

I walked with a guidebook and without a smartphone (just a simple mobile phone). The jakobswege-deutschland website has a link to download GPS tracks, but I did not use these.

I usually phoned a day in advance (or in the morning of the day of arrival) to announce my arrival and agree on a time of arrival. Or I phoned again when I was almost there. And in a few cases I just turned up.
It is not so much about Herbergen being closed, but they are run by volunteers who need to take some time off work or other daily duties to give you the key, so they often appreciate it when they know in advance that a pilgrim is coming. It all worked fine for me. But I have to add I speak German. (Of course many Germans speak perfect English but I think you can not take it for the granted, particularly in the former East & with people over 50.)

In three weeks I met 6 other pilgrims. When I first walked in September 2017 it was similar. So you need to be prepared to be on your own.

Hi Marc, Thanks again, for taking the time to give very practical advice. To me, and I feel your advice will help others considering the Via Regia. You covered many of my concerns. Language, number of people on the trail, accomodation listings (I pretty much decided I'll have to carry that guidebook), and figure out a way to stay light. Danke!

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

Hi Peter, I'll give that site or application a go. mapy.cz Thanks for sharing with me. I have used map.me in the past and found that helpful. Particularly since I will be on more limited data, since the US plans are fairly pricey, and I put those on hold, while I'm in Europe.

You can download the maps and use them offline which will save you serious data. Give it a try at home perhaps?

 

[lovingkindness]

Hello LovingKindness. Your reply is very helpful to me. Full of excellent advice. Danke!

You are welcome! Guten Weg, Pilger(in?)