On the byways: from Conques to Toulouse

09/08/2025 by Bernd Leave a comment

Next year, on #berndscamino, I will reach the Pyrenees. But first, I enjoyed 230 kilometres between Conques and Toulouse. I deliberately chose this alternative route to avoid the crowds on the Via Podiensis. Still, I hadn’t expected to meet only a single fellow pilgrim along the way.

Conques, steeped in medieval spirituality, lies within a France unfamiliar to most Germans. Fittingly, on 14 July, Paris felt infinitely far away — and that was exactly how it should be. The path reminded me of my experiences before Le Puy: improvised, personal, warm-hearted.

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Pilgriming Through Fantastically Beastly Nature…

31/12/2024 by Bernd Leave a comment

in 2024, over 300 kilometers of inspiration: #berndscamino 👣 2,372 km since Berlin

300 kilometers lay between Saint-Étienne and Conques. In 2024, the #berndscamino took me across remote plateaus and volcanic landscapes of the Massif Central, through picturesque villages and to Christian UNESCO World Heritage sites. I had ended my journey to Santiago in 2023 on the rarely traveled #lechemindesallemands near Saint-Étienne. That’s where I picked it up again in 2024. It took a few more days before I reached the pilgrim center of Le Puy-en-Velay, the impressive starting point of the #viapodeniensis. This is the route traditionally chosen by pilgrims from southern Germany and Switzerland.

Probably the friendliest region in France – from Cluny to the river Loire #berndscamino

10/10/2023 by Bernd Leave a comment

From Cluny, 240 kilometres and an astonishing 4,400 metres up and down into the Loire Valley. After Burgundy, which was spoilt by infrastructure, I arrived in a varied mountainous region far removed from tourists, which was perhaps hard to beat in terms of friendliness. Great people, wine bliss spirituality and wonderful nature meant there was never a dull moment. I also completed 2,000 kilometres from Berlin to Santiago on this stage, which I celebrated properly at Saint-Haon-le-Châtel. Even though I haven’t quite reached the pilgrim metropolis of Le Puy-en-Velay yet, I suspect that the lonely pilgrimage with its difficult but individually hospitable search for accommodation will soon come to an end. After Cluny, the highlights were great hosts: whether Marian sisters or private accommodation with a vineyard, everything was there. I even met two real pilgrims and a lovely ex-Berliner at the end of the route. But I also enjoyed the individual experience of my journey again. Was it the last reasonably lonely stage before the dreaded mass pilgrimage begins on the Via Podiensis?

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2,092 km since Berlin on my way to Santiago:
The friendliest region so far, with few but fine spiritual experiences, even in the vineyard
like the German regions Weserberg/Sauerland with lots of animals: 200 cows, 80 sheep, 90 horses, 40 pigs, 1 snake, 10 llamas, 5 donkeys, 50 dogs, 30 cats
My route on Komoot and my pinctures on Instagram #berndscamino

#berndscamino in Burgundy

14/05/2023 by Bernd Leave a comment

Varied, delicious and unhealthy you hike in Burgundy. If you want, you can also immerse yourself in the spiritual world of the Middle Ages, the Renaissance and modern times. In Burgundy, I have made more than half of my St. James Way since Berlin. Somewhere between Beaune and Taizé was half-time on my route to Santiago. Now, I have arrived in the former monastic center of Europe, in Cluny. So there are still 1,799 km ahead of me. My stage this time was a very mixed surprising 10 days, with varied nature, lots of weather changes and alternating spirituality. The people I met were very special this time. Since I took two mental and physical rest days in Citeaux and Taizé, there were completely new insights. More in German

1.903 km done on my way to Santiago
Much spirituality on the way: tasty and blessed
From now on I will not get rid of the vineyards for the time being
My way at Komoot and in Instagram #berndscamino

Through Grand-Est to Burgundy #berndscamino

24/03/2023 by Bernd Leave a comment

Hot, poor and surprisingly hospitable was my last route! 2022 was my first year of pilgrimage on my long journey from Berlin to Santiago de Compostela after the terrible pandemic that had kept us all in check. It was going to be an incredibly hot tour through an exciting as well as poor area in the east of France, through the former regions of Lorraine, Champagne to Burgundy, with beautiful historic places like Neufchâteau, Langres, Marcilly-en-Bassigny or such an enchanted place as Lamarche. The pilgrim infrastructure was as bad as the people were hospitable. And it was hot, very hot. 👣 More in German

1684 km completed since Berlin on my way to Santiago
From now on the rivers flow into the Mediterranean Sea
My journey on Komoot and my way on Instagram

Crossing Borders

01/01/2022 by Bernd Leave a comment

So different and yet so similarly beautiful are the paths in Europe. Je suis arrivé en France! I was supposed to go from Trier to Toul in 2021. The last few metres of my journey towards Santiago took me through the German countryside. And only for Schengen was I in Luxembourg again. Then I dived into the Grand Est of France, with a surprisingly beautiful amount of history and stories. In a roundabout way, I saw villages that my grandfather entered as a prisoner after the Second World War and left as a friend. Of course, it was another pandemic tour. The most annoying borders on my way were drawn by a virus.