Way of St. James Gniezno - Zgorzelec/Görlitz - Prague

It was as early as Roman times that trade routes were established that connected the south of Europe with the Baltic coast. They are called "Amber Road" even though there existed a number of them. They gained a new meaning in the 10th century with the beginnings of the formation of the present-day countries of Central Europe. Of special importance were routes linking the Bohemia through the Silesia and Lusatia with the Greater Poland. That was way that brought Latin culture, Christianity, and that the bishop of Prague, St. Adalbert, took, who is considered one of the patrons saints of Poland. One may say that the routes between Gniezno, Poznań and Prague formed "the gate to Europe". The route was popular with diplomats, but also and mainly with merchants, craftsmen, knights and pilgrims, i.e. the people that shaped this Earth. The Gniezno - Prague Way of St. James tries to recreate the route the trail that was mentioned in 1563 by Jörg Gail from Augsburg as one of the three pilgrim routes connecting Poland to the rest of Europe. It led through Poznań, Leszno, Głogów, Zgorzelec, and Żytawa. The first recreated section of that route is the Lower Silesian Route of St. James that connects Głogów, Jakubów, Grodowiec, Polkowice, Chocianów, Bolesławiec, Lubań and Zgorzelec from 2005. In summer 2006 it was joined by the Greater Poland Route (Gniezno - Murowana Goślina - Poznań - Lubiń - Leszno - Wschowa - Głogów), while spring of 2008 saw the opening of Żytawa Route (Zgorzelec/ Görlitz - Żytawa/Zittau - Český Dub - Stara Boleslav - Prague). You can start your pilgrimage in Olsztyn, where "the Polish Route" (Camino Polaco) leads to Toruń and further to Gniezno.