Via Romea Germanica

Today, the Via Romea Germanica stretches for approximately 1,050 km, from the Hanseatic city of Stade in northern Germany to Rome. It crosses Germany, Austria, and Italy, passes over the Brenner Pass, and winds through the Veneto, Emilia-Romagna, Tuscany, and Lazio regions. The route is recognized by the Ministry of Tourism and is included in the Catalog of Italian Religious Pilgrimage Routes.

In Emilia-Romagna, the route spans approximately 317 km, divided into 11 stages. After crossing the Po River, it enters the Ferrara plain and reaches Ferrara, a Renaissance city and UNESCO World Heritage Site. It then continues toward Argenta andthe Abbey of Pomposa, one of the most important medieval monastic complexes in northern Italy, crosses the Comacchio Valleys, and arrives in Ravenna, home to the extraordinary Byzantine mosaics designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Leaving the coast behind, the route climbs toward the Apennines, passing through Forlì, Cusercoli, Santa Sofia, and the Casentino Forests National Park, Monte Falterona, and Campigna, until it reaches Bagno di Romagna. Via the Serra Pass, it crosses the Tuscan-Romagnolo ridge and descends into the Casentino, continuing toward Arezzo and then on to Rome.

The Via Romea Germanica alternates between plains, wetlands, cities of art, hills, and mountainous terrain, offering a journey that combines nature, history, and spirituality. The route is fully marked, features GPS tracks, and has a network of pilgrim lodges, hostels, farm stays, and other accommodations. Pilgrims can request a pilgrim ’s credential, collect stamps along the way, and receive a certificate upon completing the journey.

Along its route, the Via Romea Germanica intersects with other important pilgrimage routes, including the Path of St. Anthony, the Assisi Pilgrimage, and the Dante Pilgrimage, helping to create a network of historical and spiritual routes that crosses the Apennines.

The Via Romea Germanica is part of the Emilia-Romagna Pilgrimage Routes and Trails network.