ON THE ST. JAMES TRAIL THROUGH THE WACHAU
In 2005, the Austrian portion of the
Jakobsweg
(“St James Trail”), which runs from Göttweig to Melk Abbey, was officially opened in Melk.
Christians have been taking pilgrimages along the St.
James Trail since the Middle Ages, making their way to Santiago de Compostela and the grave of Saint James. Austria’s
Jakobsweg sets out from the Hainburger Pforte. From there, it makes
its way upstream along the Danube, following the route of the old Roman
“limes” through Vienna, and via Linz and Innsbruck to Feldkirch. The
total distance from Vienna to Santiago de Compostela is 3,200 km. The
stretch between Göttweig and Melk is around 44 km long and can be tackled in about 12
hours.
Located along this stretch of the trail, in addition to
many other magnificent abbeys and churches, are the two famous
Benedictine abbeys of Göttweig and Melk. They are two easy
travel days apart.
The two Benedictine abbeys at the start and end of the
Wachau – listed as a World Cultural Heritage Site since 2000 –
are amongst the most important sights along the Austrian stages of the Jakobsweg. Other
significant stopping points include the pilgrimage church of
Maria Langegg, the ruins of Aggstein Castle, as well as
the hammer works and the charterhouse in Aggsbach.
The revival of the Austrian portion of the trail has its
roots in an initiative of the Waldzell Institute. This initiative follows in the
footsteps of a trend of recent years towards spiritually-focused hikes, a trend
which has also lead to revival of other pilgrimage trails.
At special
information stations along the Austrian stages of the trail,
you can pick up interesting facts about the entire St.
James Trail.
:: PDF: St. James Trail
