The Way of St. James Via Regia (Droga św. Jakuba Via Regia) is the Polish section of the ancient Via Regia trade route, now revived as a pilgrim path leading toward Santiago de Compostela. The route follows the medieval "Royal Road" that once connected Kyiv to the Iberian Peninsula through Lviv, Przemyśl, Kraków, Wrocław, and onward through Germany. The first Polish section was opened on October 6, 2006, from Brzeg through Wrocław and Legnica to the German border at Zgorzelec. In subsequent years, the route expanded eastward through Pilzno, Tarnów, Brzesko, Wieliczka, Kraków, Olkusz, Sławków, Będzin, Sączów, Piekary Śląskie, Góra Świętej Anny (St. Anne's Mountain), Opole, Skorogoszcz, and Brzeg. The St. Anne's Mountain section was officially opened on September 15, 2008. Today, the Via Regia in Poland stretches approximately 500 kilometers through diverse landscapes—from the Subcarpathian hills through industrial Upper Silesia to the plains of Lower Silesia. Pilgrims walking the route encounter significant Catholic pilgrimage sites including Piekary Śląskie, the Silesian spiritual capital with its miraculous image of Our Lady, and Góra Świętej Anny with its 15th-century statue of Saint Anne and impressive Calvary. The route is marked with the traditional yellow scallop shell on a blue background. Concrete waymarkers and information boards guide pilgrims along field roads, forest paths, and village streets that often follow remnants of the medieval trade route.
## 🔗 Useful Links
- [Droga Świętego Jakuba - Official Polish Camino Website](https://camino.net.pl/) – Maps, stages, and pilgrim information - [Camino Europe - Via Regia](https://camino-europe.eu/en/eu/polen-en-US/jakobswege-en-US/droga-sw-jakuba-via-regia/) – Stage descriptions and route details