The top 5 pilgrimages in Europe

What is a pilgrimage? A pilgrimage is defined as a journey of moral or spiritual significance (typically, to a shrine or other location of importance to a person’s beliefs and faith). But you don’t have to be religious to appreciate the opportunities a pilgrimage provides; history, hiking, sweeping views of unspoiled nature as well as ancient cityscapes, and a sense of camaraderie with passing pilgrims.

Whatever your reason for setting out on a pilgrimage, here are the best European routes to follow.

Pilgrim’s Way, England

Dubbed ‘England’s Camino’, Pilgrim’s Way has a rather tragic origin. After Henry II’s rash cry of ‘will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?’, his old friend and Archbishop Thomas Becket was fatally stabbed at the altar of his own cathedral. Racked with guilt, Henry walked the 120-mile road barefoot from Winchester to Canterbury a few years later. Luckily, shoes are allowed for regular pilgrims and this religious route passes through some of England’s most bucolic scenery, the North Downs Way, making it a very rewarding and pleasant journey.

Just a few minutes’ walk from Canterbury Cathedral, with Tudor wooden beams and carpets so soft you could sink into them, The Corner House Canterbury is somewhere you can rest your weary legs while still being immersed in pilgrimage history.

Madonna del Ghisallo, Italy

A steep but short climb to a hilltop shrine, the Madonna del Ghisallo is a European religious pilgrimage to the patron saint of cycling. The story goes that a travelling Medieval count sought refuge in the shrine from roadside robbers, and miraculously escaped unscathed. Coincidence? Perhaps. But it’s been a holy site ever since. Pedalling 10km up a mountain, the route is pretty challenging but worth it for views of Lake Como and the starting point, nearby town of Bellagio.

Hotel Du Lac sits in the town of Bellagio, where you can have breakfast on the terrace facing Lake Como before you set off.

Glastonbury Tor to Stonehenge, England

This 42-mile pilgrimage is a pagan trail connecting two mystical English sites – and walking it supposedly results in rebirth. Lots of myths revolve around the starting point, Glastonbury Tor, an enigmatic tower perched on the summit of a rounded hill, where faeries were once believed to reside. Supernatural and occult powers aside, at the very least you’ll enjoy blissful, panoramic views of the Somerset countryside. And you’ll end up at the breathtaking Stonehenge, a stone circle constructed 3,000 years BC.

Stay at the homely Honeysuckle Farm cottagess to start your pilgrimage, and relax in the water meadow at The Old Bakery, Long Street, Long Street at the other end.

The Camino de Santiago, France to Spain

This ancient religious European pilgrimage route is in the midst of a revival, with annual numbers of pilgrims recently rising to 200,000. It’s a walking pilgrimage with four main starting points, all branching together for the final stretch of the route. The most common is the ‘French Way’, starting in southern France and ending up in the Spanish coastal city of Santiago de Compostela, where relics of the apostle St. James lie. The route takes around three weeks on foot and boasts splendid scenery, crossing the Pyrenees, the beautiful Basque country, and northern Spain’s rolling corn fields and forests.

Bolboreta Suites Boutique Apartments is the most highly rated accommodation in Santiago de Compostela, being only 250 metres from the city’s Cathedral and with a private rooftop terrace.

The Via Francigena, France to Italy

Though its name translates as ‘road that comes from France’, the ancient Via Francigena religious route traditionally starts in the English cathedral city of Canterbury. But if you don’t have months to spare, the French-Italian part of the trail takes you through glorious scenery. From the rolling vineyards of the Champagne region, across the Swiss border to Lake Geneva and through the Alps, to sun-drenched Tuscany and finally, the home of the Catholic Church, Rome.

With pattern-tiled floors, high ceilings, and antique wardrobes, Romance al Colosseo is an inviting Rome accommodation with view of the Colosseum and the Roman Forum.