Via Romea Germanica

In 1236, Abbot Albert of Stade set out from his monastery near Hamburg on pilgrimage to Rome. His detailed travel diary recorded every stop on the 94-day journey, creating a precise itinerary that modern pilgrims now follow. The Via Romea Germanica traces his path from the shores of the Baltic to the gates of the Eternal City.

📜 History & Significance

While the Via Francigena served pilgrims from the west, the Via Romea Germanica connected the Germanic lands to Rome. Abbot Albert's meticulous records, preserved in his Annales Stadenses, document the route in extraordinary detail - the hospices, the river crossings, the dangers, and the distances between each stopping place.

The route carried not only pilgrims but also emperors traveling to Rome for coronation, merchants heading to Italian markets, and crusaders assembling for campaigns in the Holy Land. The Council of Europe certified it as a Cultural Route in 2020, recognizing its enduring significance.

🥾 Route Overview

The Via Romea Germanica stretches approximately 2,200 km from Stade (near Hamburg) to Rome, traditionally completed in about 94 stages as recorded by Abbot Albert. Modern pilgrims typically require 3-4 months for the full journey.

From the North German plain, the route passes through Thuringia and Bavaria, crosses the Alps at the Brenner Pass (1,370m) - the lowest major Alpine crossing - and descends into Italy through the Alto Adige. The Italian section passes through Verona, Padua, and Ravenna before crossing the Apennines to reach Rome.

☩ Key Pilgrimage Sites

The route passes extraordinary churches and monasteries - the imperial cathedral of Speyer, the pilgrimage church at Altötting (Germany's national Marian shrine), and the magnificent basilica of Sant'Antonio in Padua.

Ravenna's Byzantine mosaics, dating from when the city served as capital of the Western Roman Empire, offer pilgrims a glimpse of early Christian splendor. The journey culminates at St Peter's Basilica and the great pilgrimage churches of Rome.