The Route

"A journey from Bilzen, through the Belgian Ardennes, the rugged Luxembourg, the French Vosges, the German Black Forest, the high Swiss Alps, the Italian Apennines and rolling Tuscany to Rome."

From Bilzen via the GR5 to Trier

On April 9 the journey starts in Munsterbilzen towards Kanne, where the well-known GR5 leads me through the Ardennes all the way to the border with Luxembourg. To then travel through Luxembourg to Echternach where the crossing is made to the historic city of Trier. This first part of the tour is about 300km

Through Germany along the French border to Switzerland

Via the Saar-Hunsrücksteig, this route leads via Nonnweiler to the old 'Middle Route' that passes the Vosges along the French border and thus enters the vast 'Black Forest'. After a stretch of more than 575 km from north to south to Lake Titisee and then from west to east via Lake Constance, I reach Constance on the Swiss border. In the meantime, the sun has risen a bit, all the trees have received fresh green leaves and we are at the end of May.

Over and through beautiful Switzerland

The old pilgrim route 'Jacobsweg' first leads me to Einsiedeln. After that it only goes uphill until the Gotthard pass (2016m). This 305km route crosses the entire Swiss country from north to south. In Morcote I enter Italy to start the last but longest leg of my journey.

1000 km throug Italie to old Rome

Via ferry I reach the E1 route that runs along the Ticino river to Pavia. In Pavia I follow the historic 'Via Degli Abati' that crosses to the 'Via Francigena' in passo della Cisa. From there this pilgrimage route leads me via Lucca and Siena all the way through Tuscany to my final destination... Rome.