Via Regia in Winter?

[Madrood]

Hi all

I'm exploring the idea of walking the Via Regia or Elisabethpfad in winter. Could anyone who has done this, or is familiar with hiking in central Germany in winter, please give me an idea of what to expect?

I've checked the climate data for a few cities along the route against those on the Frances and VdlP. It looks like Germany would be cloudier, a bit colder, but possibly with less precipitation (particularly compared to Galicia). Haven't found any information about ice though, or how much of that precipitation would be snow.

 

[mspath]

Madrood,

Have you checked this earlier thread?

https://www.caminodesantiago.me/community/threads/via-regia-der-oekumenische-pilgerweg.66893

 

[lovingkindness]

Hi there @Madrood
A few years ago during a long, cold winter I walked a few trails through Germany. I set off from Trondheim, Norway in August and by the time I reached Lübeck it had begun to snow. It was a frozen winter, the first real snow in ten years. I wore 4 kilos of winter gear and didn´t divest myself of it until springtime in France.

From Lübeck to just before Dortmund the snow was deep. I wasn't able to walk the Jacobswegs rather I followed bicycle paths from village to village and often walked the verge beside roads. Early in the day the cycling paths were cleared of snow enabling passage between villages.

There was a limited number of hours in which one could walk. Sunrise was late and light began to disappear by 14 00.

I loved walking through winter. The silence was pristine, the solitude immense.

Re where to sleep, Most nights the people I stayed with telephoned ahead for me ensuring that I needn´t worry.

Cheers
Lovingkindness

Day 121 on the way to Harsefeld, Germany


Trondheim to Santiago de Compostela (2010-2011): Day 101 (#161), Lübeck onwards....

 

[Jodean]

I live in Frankfurt and the Via Regia pretty much passes through here in the north end. Winter simply does what ever it wants to do. It could be rainy, snowy, really cold, or really mild. We just take what ever it gives us and there is no sort of average weather. Seriously. Every year is different.
The Elizabeth Way would end in Marburg, which is an hour by train from here. Not sure how the infrastructure would work, walking from town to town, though I know that people do this. You might want to look at some of the German sites?

 

[Madrood]

@mspath , yes I scanned through the Via Regia threads on this forum before posting. Those who've walked it haven't done so in winter, unless I've missed something. I've also checked the website associated with the guide.

@lovingkindness thanks for that account. "I loved walking through winter. The silence was pristine, the solitude immense"; complete agreement (though I can do without the ice). Must've been quiet a cold year to get snow that close to the coast. I think the Via Regia at least is similar to a bridleway in most parts, so I'm assuming even it it probably won't be cleared of snow it will still be hard to lose the path. Sunlight hours don't appear to be too different, comparing Salamanca and Leipzig in January, there is only an hour less; not great, not terrible, and similar to what I get in Ireland. Was the a pilgrim network on that camino? I was under the impression that the two routes I listed (and maybe the Via Romea Germanica) were the only ones which had more than some volunteers marking the paths.

@Jodean thanks, I'll keep that randomness in mind. I saw some say that because of global warming the probability of snow is less in Germany than it was. Has the Hessian part of the route been developed? When I look up the VR I only see pilgrim information for the Goerlitz-Eisenach part, and only historical information for the rest of it. The Elisabethpfad is (according to their website) well marked for each of the three routes (Eisenach, Frankfurt, Koeln). They also provide a list of a mix of pilgrim and regular accommodations.

 

[Anhalter]

Greetings from middle Germany. The via Regia passes my town around 30km to the north (Naumburg).
I have yet to walk it, but i can add a little to the weather.

Winters can be rather wet. I find hiking in wet conditions harder than in cold conditions. (solid ground vs. mud mostly)
It rarely gets really cold, but it can happen. We had around -20°C for a few days winter before last.
It can also get quite pleasant. We also had around 20°C just 2 weeks after the -20 (but also only a few days)
Snow can happen, but again, not so often. Yes, theres also examples of lot of snow but they are rare.

all in all, weather has become quite unpredictable and you can encounter pretty much everything most times of the year. Still, chances are, most parts of Spain will have nicer weather than most parts of Germany for the average year.

 

[Madrood]

Greetings from middle Germany. The via Regia passes my town around 30km to the north (Naumburg).
I have yet to walk it, but i can add a little to the weather.

Winters can be rather wet. I find hiking in wet conditions harder than in cold conditions. (solid ground vs. mud mostly)
It rarely gets really cold, but it can happen. We had around -20°C for a few days winter before last.
It can also get quite pleasant. We also had around 20°C just 2 weeks after the -20 (but also only a few days)
Snow can happen, but again, not so often. Yes, theres also examples of lot of snow but they are rare.

all in all, weather has become quite unpredictable and you can encounter pretty much everything most times of the year. Still, chances are, most parts of Spain will have nicer weather than most parts of Germany for the average year.

So it seems anything goes The scenery around Naumburg is actually one of the draws for me on this route, another poster here described it as Germany's Tuscany, though I'm sure he wasn't thinking about what it would be like in winter.

The motivation behind looking into this route at this time of year is that there might be less mud in Germany than Spain in winter. It's counter-intuitive (to me at least), but that's what the data suggests. For example, according to the climate data on Wikipedia, Leipzig can expect an average of 31.9 mm of precipitation in January, while Salamanca can expect 31.7 mm. Seville gets 66 mm, while Dresden gets 46.5 mm. SdC is up at 210 mm, while Frankfurt is at only 45 mm. Where Spain has the edge is in sunshine hours.

 

[Anhalter]

So it seems anything goes The scenery around Naumburg is actually one of the draws for me on this route, another poster here described it as Germany's Tuscany, though I'm sure he wasn't thinking about what it would be like in winter.

The motivation behind looking into this route at this time of year is that there might be less mud in Germany than Spain in winter. It's counter-intuitive (to me at least), but that's what the data suggests. For example, according to the climate data on Wikipedia, Leipzig can expect an average of 31.9 mm of precipitation in January, while Salamanca can expect 31.7 mm. Seville gets 66 mm, while Dresden gets 46.5 mm. SdC is up at 210 mm, while Frankfurt is at only 45 mm. Where Spain has the edge is in sunshine hours.

The area around Naumburg is definitely nice, no arguing that. If it compares to Tuscany, i don't know. But yeah, they call it that and to be honest, i have not spent that much time there since for my day hikes i usually use whats around my town.
Regarding the weather i would love to give a more specific answer. Been living here for 8 years now and seen so much unpredictable weather. Statistics is one thing, if you are caught in a 3-week rain period you don't care about that any more ;-)
On the other hand, we do also have shops in germany and if you find you are missing certain equipment for the weather you encounter, it can usually be gotten in every decent sized city. So maybe not overthink it ;-)

 

[Marc S.]

I have walked the Via Regia and the Elisabethpfad (Eisenach - Marburg), but not in winter. However, I can adress some of the question you raised in previous posts.

There is indeed a lot of pilgrim accomodation on the VR. And also and the EP from Eisenbach-Marburg, it is in fact also very well marked. I am not too sure about pilgrim accomodation from Marburg to Koln. I recently did some research as I considered walking it this autumn (using the listings on the Elisabethpfad website) but it seemed it was only available on some stages.

From what I know these two have the best pilgrim infrastructure in terms of accomodation. Although, from what I have read, the Via Baltica (from Usedom to Leipzig) also has a lot of pilgrim accomodation. But anyway, the VR and EP are both perfect options - I really enjoyed walking them.

Concerning accomodation. I don't know your budget considerations but I normally find it quite feasible to find a private room (b and b, or Gasthof) for 30-40 euro, that is in the small villages (mostly including the use of a fully equipped kitchen). Worked for me this September when I walked the Via Imperii from Berlin to Leipzig. One tip if you are looking for a room: avoid booking.com and go to the local tourist information website or office, they show options that are not available at booking.com.

Anyway, Guten Weg !!

 

[Madrood]

I have walked the Via Regia and the Elisabethpfad (Eisenach - Marburg), but not in winter. However, I can adress some of the question you raised in previous posts.

There is indeed a lot of pilgrim accomodation on the VR. And also and the EP from Eisenbach-Marburg, it is in fact also very well marked. I am not too sure about pilgrim accomodation from Marburg to Koln. I recently did some research as I considered walking it this autumn (using the listings on the Elisabethpfad website) but it seemed it was only available on some stages.

From what I know these two have the best pilgrim infrastructure in terms of accomodation. Although, from what I have read, the Via Baltica (from Usedom to Leipzig) also has a lot of pilgrim accomodation. But anyway, the VR and EP are both perfect options - I really enjoyed walking them.

Concerning accomodation. I don't know your budget considerations but I normally find it quite feasible to find a private room (b and b, or Gasthof) for 30-40 euro, that is in the small villages (mostly including the use of a fully equipped kitchen). Worked for me this September when I walked the Via Imperii from Berlin to Leipzig. One tip if you are looking for a room: avoid booking.com and go to the local tourist information website or office, they show options that are not available at booking.com.

Anyway, Guten Weg !!

Thanks Marc that chimes with what I've been reading. Someone did the VB recently and I think camped all the way, could be wrong. I quite like the Brick Gothic you get in that part of Germany, but I'd assumed it would be the coldest place in the country, probably because in Ireland (and probably elsewhere) we use 'Baltic' as a synonym for 'very very cold'.

Still at the pre-spreadsheet stage so no budget has been set. The Eisenach branch of the EPf appears to be the most economical. I'd wondered about that fact about Booking, I'd seen Zimmerfrei prices being quoted elsewhere in the 20-40 range but couldn't find them.

 

[lovingkindness]

Hello @Madrood

Are you familiar with this website? It has an interactive map of all the Jacobswegs in Germany plus links to further information.

https://www.deutsche-jakobswege.de/wege-uebersicht.html

Happy planning!
-Lovingkindness

 

[Madrood]

Hello @Madrood

Are you familiar with this website? It has an interactive map of all the Jacobswegs in Germany plus links to further information.

https://www.deutsche-jakobswege.de/wege-uebersicht.html

Happy planning!
-Lovingkindness

Yes I've browsed it before but thanks for reminding me of it.

This might be a mistaken assumption, but it seems to like the routes with the most development are in those regions which were traditionally Protestant. Is this accurate? Was there some kind of pilgrimage revival in German Protestantism over the last few decades?

 

[lovingkindness]

Yes I've browsed it before but thanks for reminding me of it.

This might be a mistaken assumption, but it seems to like the routes with the most development are in those regions which were traditionally Protestant. Is this accurate? Was there some kind of pilgrimage revival in German Protestantism over the last few decades?

Hi there @Madrood
...in 1987 the Council of Europe certified el Camino de Santiago de Compostela as the First Cultural Route of Europe. Also, later, in 1993 El Camino became a UNESCO World Heritage Site...

I would think these two events have had a significant impact on the European public´s awareness of ancient pilgrimage routes.

Personally, I don´t know enough to comment on the revival of pilgrim trails in Protestant Germany but I can give some annecdotal evidence: Before setting off from Trondheim I was welcomed at the cathedral by a volunteer Pilegrims Pastor from Denmark, Elisabeth Lidell -an Ev Lutheran pastor and pilgrimage guide whose husband was architect for the creation of pilgrim hostals along the Haervejen trail in Denmark. Pastor Lidell put me in touch with the Pilgerpastor at the Hauptkirche St-Jacobi in Hamburg, Pastor Bernd Lohse. She suggested I send my heavy winter gear ahead to him, there.

Pastor Lohse was well known in Northern Germany and Norway at the time. For many years he had guided groups of German pilgrims along the St Olafs trail from Oslo to Nidaros -Trondheim. Pastor Lohse also featured in televised documentaries about The St Olafs Way.

When I arrived in Hamburg, in frightful weather, Ps Lohse took good care of me. He set up a stretcher with new blankets and pillows in one of the church offices. Then he took me to a local restaurant and paid for meals. The following day I was invited to attend a pilgrims meeting for former and future pilgrims. These gatherings were regular, I think. Before setting off again, Ps Lohse prayed with me by the charred figure of St Jacobi which had miraculously survived the terrble fires of WW2.

I often heard it said as I walked through the north that the revival of pilgrimage in Germany owed much to the commedian Hape Kerkeling whose book and movie about walking to SdC were quite a hit:

´I´m Off Then´ by Hape Kerkeling

I'm Off Then (film) - Wikipedia

en.m.wikipedia.org

Guten Weg Pilger!


By the charred statue of St Jacobi, Hauptkirche St Jacobi, Hamburg. 20 Dec, 2010.


2500 kms to Santiago de Compostela. Camino sign outside the Hauptkirche St Jacobi in Hamburg, Germany.

 

[Madrood]

Hi there @Madrood
...in 1987 the Council of Europe certified el Camino de Santiago de Compostela as the First Cultural Route of Europe. Later, in 1993 El Camino also became a UNESCO World Heritage Site...

Thanks lk, I might dive into this a bit more if I can. I came across a hiking route before which I think was called the Wanderweg, from Aachen to also Goerlitz, to celebrate reunification. It's didn't follow the VR, but perhaps there was also a hiking boom in Germany at the time which syngergised with the increasing popularity of the SdC camino to renew interest in local pilgrimages. But maybe I'm just focusing too narrowly on Germany.

Your mentioning of the burnt statue reminided me of the fallen bell I saw in a church in nearby Luebeck that was left in situ, which was also because of the war.

View attachment IMG_0870.JPG