The last two decades have given rise to a number of walking and cycling paths marked with a symbol of a scallop shell; they are the Ways of St. James (Caminos de Santiago, Routes of St. James, Chemins de St. Jacques, Jakobswege) that server pilgrims who roam the Old World, alone or in small parties, in search of a spiritual communion. They wish to pray and contemplate their lives; they may want to run away from it all or find the primeval quality of our Continent, or simply sightsee well known places, meet new people, and get some exercise in line with the saying "a health mind in a healthy body". It is indeed the spiritual aspect of the journey that is of paramount importance. Therefore, it is not a tourist path - it is, rather, a chance for "a retreat on the way".

Among pilgrim routes to Santiago de Compostela, there are also the Ways of St. James in Poland. It should be stressed that it was the Pope from Poland, from a faraway land as John Paul II was called, who was the first to initiate the restoration of the Ways of St. James in Europe. On November 9, 1982 he spoke with these words at the tomb of St. James in Santiago: I, John Paul, son of the Polish nation, call on you, old Europe, from Santiago, with a voice which is full of love: Find yourself! Be yourself! Discover your origins. Breathe life into your roots".

It is all more worthwhile to experience Camino in Poland. It does not matter that Finis Terrae is 3,000km away - what does is each step made and each person met on the Route, not only the last kilometers just before Santiago.

Below you can find the most important information on the Ways of St. James in Poland: the Lower Silesia Route and the Greater Poland Route (Gniezno - Poznań - Głogów - Zgorzelec - Prague) and Via Regia (Brzeg - Wrocław - Legnica - Zgorzelec). There are also links to websites of other sections of Camino de Santiago in Poland. You can send us your questions: we will do our best to help you make through Camino in Poland.