Saxon Way of St James (Sächsischer Jakobsweg)

In short: Saxon Way of St James (Sächsischer Jakobsweg): from Bautzen to Hof. Length: around 300 km, duration: 2 weeks. Best time: April to October.

Overview

The Saxon Way of St James branches off the Ecumenical Pilgrim Way in Bautzen and heads south-west via Bischofswerda, Dresden and Freiberg to Chemnitz and Zwickau, then through the Vogtland to Hof.

The route links cultural cities with low mountain scenery. If you live in Saxony, the start is easy to reach by train. The Bautzen pilgrim office at the Hammermühle can help with information.

Allow around two weeks, although many people walk the route in stages over several weekends.

Planning your stages

How long you need depends on your daily distance. The table works this out for 300 kilometres, with one rest day a week.

Who is this route for?

With some hiking experience this route is very manageable. Expect climbs and keep your days from getting too long.

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 17 days that comes to roughly 1,000 to 1,350 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.