The Camino de Santiago de Compostela (the Way of St. James) is one of the most famous pilgrimages in the world. Hundreds of thousands of people embark every year along routes towards the shrine of St. James the Great in Santiago, many beginning the journey at their homes, wherever they may be. Today, there are many routes that pilgrims follow; the most popular route begins in southern France, but others have origins in Sevilla, in southern Spain; Lisboa, in southern Portugal; in England; and even as far away as Germany and Italy. The pilgrimage began with the discovery of St. James' remains in the year 812 and was very popular during the Middle Ages, rivaling the popularity of other spiritual pilgrimages, such as those to Rome/Vatican City and Jerusalem. After decreasing in popularity due to political upheaval in later years, the pilgrimage has steadily increased in popularity since the 1950s and was declared in 1987 the first European Cultural Route.
The Camino Francés (the French route), which is the most popular route, stretches approximately 500 miles from St. Jean-Pied-du-Port, France to Santiago, though many people walk from even further away before joining the route. For many, the walk is a spiritual experience, a retreat of spiritual growth, as they follow in the 2000-year-old footsteps of St. James the Apostle.
