Way of St James through the Lüneburg Heath

In short: Way of St James through the Lüneburg Heath: from Hamburg, St Jacobi to two variants heading south from Soltau. Length: around 430 km, duration: a good 3 weeks. Best time: May to October, in August for the heather bloom.

Overview

The Way of St James through the Lüneburg Heath begins at St Jacobi Church in Hamburg and leads via Undeloh, Wilsede and Schneverdingen to Soltau. There it splits into two variants.

The route runs through typical heathland and is flat almost everywhere. It is especially lovely in August, when the heather blooms purple. A feeder route comes from St Michaelis in Lüneburg and joins the main route near Wilsede.

You can get a pilgrim passport from Lüneburger Heide GmbH and at local tourist offices. It is a very good choice for a first pilgrimage route in northern Germany.

Planning your stages

How long you need depends on your daily distance. The table works this out for 430 kilometres, with one rest day a week.

Who is this route for?

This route suits a first pilgrimage well. You need no mountain experience, normal basic fitness and broken-in shoes are enough.

What does the route cost?

With an albergue or simple guesthouse and one hot meal, 60 to 80 euros a day is usually enough. Over about 25 days that comes to roughly 1,500 to 2,000 euros, plus travel and gear. This is a guide figure.

You can find more routes under Pilgrimage routes in Europe, Pilgrimage in Germany, sorted by religion under Christian pilgrimage routes.