From Appersdorf to Santiago de Compostela - 2700 kilometers on the Way of St. James

Two men from the Freising district embarked on an unforgettable journey in August.

They were on the road for 31 days - by bike - and covered 2,700 kilometers in the process.

On the Camino de Santiago.

Oberappersdorf / Mauern / Santiago de Compostela

- The Way of St. James: one of the most famous pilgrimage routes for Christians.

The holy tomb of James in Santiago de Compostela in Galicia, Spain, is one of the three major destinations for Christian pilgrims, along with Rome and Jerusalem.

For most people, the Camino Frances from the Pyrenees to Santiago is the classic Camino de Santiago.

In fact, it is not just “a path”, but a whole network of pilgrimage routes that covers all of Europe.

So you can go to the grave of James from almost anywhere - also from your own front door.

Two cycling enthusiasts from the district also decided to do the same this summer - and started in mid-August: Peter Winsczyk from Mauern and Sebastian Riedmaier from Oberappersdorf.

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A moving moment: after a 31-day trip, the two are standing in front of the cathedral. 

© private

There are many different reasons to take the path.

The decision to tackle the project matured in Riedmaier over several years.

He's been cycling to work for over 30 years, around 30 kilometers a day.

“There were also some dangerous situations - especially in winter or when there was thick fog.

So at some point I decided to take the Camino de Santiago, if I can retire healthy and accident-free. "When his friend and music colleague Winsczyk found out about this, he said spontaneously:" I'll go with you. "

Planning began in January 2020 and planned to start in June and drive the approximately 2,700 kilometers in 30 days.

However, due to the corona pandemic, the trip had to be postponed by over a year.

Rainy start

It finally started on August 16, 2021.

After saying goodbye to family and friends and with “musical accompaniment”, the two of them got on their bikes in Oberappersdorf at 8.30 am and then turned onto the Ammer-Amperradweg in Zolling.

“The weather really hit us on the first day,” recalls Winsczyk.

"We had a stormy headwind and from Dachau it poured out of buckets".

It should be the only rainy day of the trip.

"The remaining 30 days we had almost nothing but sunshine."

(By the way: Everything from the region is now also available in our regular Freising newsletter.)

So you drove in three stages via Stockdorf, Marktoberdorf, Kempten and Lindau to Rohrschach in Switzerland.

From here we continued on Eurovelo 6, a continuous cycle route that crosses Europe and leads from the Black Sea to the Atlantic.

“We followed this excellently signposted and exemplary cared-for cycle path from Rohrschach for around 600 kilometers.” Via Constance, Schaffhausen, we cycled past Basel.

At Weil the Rhine was crossed over the three-country bridge - and it continued in France.

"From here the Eurovelo follows the Rhine-Rhone Canal and you cycle for days on wonderful cycle paths past countless locks and accompanied by many boats right along the water," they rave about.

On the Via Podiensies to the Pyrenees

At Chalon sur Saone, the planned route left Eurovelo 6 in the direction of Le Puy-en-Velay.

Here is the start of the Via Podiensies, the most famous Camino de Santiago through France.

It leads almost 700 kilometers across the French low mountain range - the Rhone-Alps - to Saint-Jean-de-Pied-de-Port at the foot of the Pyrinées, where the Camino Frances begins.

"We made a conscious decision to take this mountainous and difficult path with over 10,000 meters of altitude, because it leads through the incredibly beautiful volcanic landscape of the Aubrac and connects the pilgrimage cities of Aumont-Aubrac, Figeac, Estaign, Cahors, Conques, Condom and Moissac", explains Riedmaier.

“This landscape and the historic cities are simply part of the Camino de Santiago”.

Via the Ibaneta Pass to Spain

While the two were largely alone in France, the stream of pilgrims from Saint-Jean-de-Pied-de-Port becomes thicker. Most of the pilgrims start their hike here, although it should be said that due to the pandemic, it will be rather quiet this year. While around 300,000 people arrived in Santiago in 2018, it is estimated that this year around 80,000 pilgrims - ten percent of them.

Whether on foot or by bike: The Camino begins for everyone with a sporting challenge, namely the crossing of the Pyrenees. On the 25-kilometer ascent, over 1000 meters of altitude must be mastered. "Every step was worth it and the view with breathtaking landscapes made up for all the effort," is the conclusion of the two at the top of the pass. Through beautiful Navarra we went to Pamplona, ​​where the first day in Spain was celebrated with a real "tapas festival" in the evening. Via the Alto del Perdon - the mountain of forgiveness - and the Puente de la Reina, the queen's bridge, the journey continued into the Rioja area with the capital Logrono: “Of course we didn’t miss it, at the wine fountain to try a sip of wine from Irache ”. Here the winery donates 70 liters of red wine to the pilgrims every day.

Monumental cathedrals

Castile is the third region that you drive through on the approximately 800 kilometers long Camino Frances.

Here you can feel in the cities the wealth that the Way of St. James and the pilgrims have brought to the country over the past 1000 years.

Magnificent houses and monumental cathedrals line the way.

For example in Leon and Burgos.

In between the Meseta, a huge, agricultural and almost deserted plateau with sunflower and millet fields as far as the eye can see.

Here the two covered 120 to 130 kilometers a day;

in the mountains 80 to 90.

Then we went back to the mountains.

After the Pyrenees there are two more mountain ranges: the Montes de Leon and the Cantabrian Mountains - both around 1,300 meters high.

Here you also come to the highest point of the Camino, the Cruz de Ferro.

An iron cross on which the pilgrims put down a stone they brought with them from home, as a symbolic relief from a burden of life that is symbolically left behind here.

Over the years, this has created a pile of stones about five meters high.

Arrival in Santiago de Compostela

The Galicia region is reached by departing from the Cantabrian Mountains. In contrast to the rather dry Meseta, you notice the abundance of rain from the nearby Atlantic. Everything is in bloom and the forests and fields are dominated by lush green. Several Way of St. James converge in Melide and Portomarin and the flow of pilgrims increases significantly. There are only 100 kilometers left and everyone is euphoric and looking forward to arriving in Santiago. From Monte Gozo, the "Mountain of Joy", you can see the cathedral for the first time in the distance. You can hear many cheers from the pilgrims, but you can also see tears of emotion and joy at having made the way. After a 31-day drive, the two friends reached the place-name signs for Santiago around noon on September 15th and shortly afterwards they entered the square in front of the cathedral.“Standing in front of the cathedral after such a long journey is an emotional moment,” they say. “Above all, we were happy that we arrived safely and without an accident.” In the afternoon, the bikes were packed and sent home by a forwarding agent. The duo flew home on the 17th.

After their return, the two report that at first they didn't even know what to tell about their impressive journey.

"There were so many impressions and pictures." Her conclusion: "An unforgettable experience - and although it was very challenging in terms of sport, we do not regret a minute."