The pilgrimage to the grave of St. James in Santiago de Compostela is one of the most important spiritual traditions in Europe. As part of the European Jakobsweg (Route of St. James), the ViaJacobi leads along the foot of the Alpine chain from the Bodensee to Genève – right across Switzerland. Chapels, churches and hostels are strung like pearls along the ViaJacobi and, together with a diverse cultural landscape, offer a fabulous hiking experience.
While for some the emphasis is on the spiritual aspect of the pilgrimage, others simply enjoy the journey, which mostly leads along historic routes through regions along the fringe of the Alps. The medieval routes of the Jakobsweg were however not always clearly defined, stormy weather could often lead to last-minute changes. And so today, the ViaJacobi also offers the option of choosing between various paths or following them in succession. It was quite common for the pilgrims of yesteryear to make the pilgrimage more than once.
Stages
Places
Arrival / return travel
Our recommendations for arrival by public transport.
SwitzerlandMobility recommends covering the following sections by rail, bus or boat to shorten the route, to negotiate height differences or simply because it’s beautiful.
List of recommendations »
The construction of the Cornvin - Bernex tramline, lasting until 2011, will result in disruptions on the ViaJacobi (Cornavin railway station - Bel-Air). Negotiation of the section (see map) remains assured but signalization may be temporarily incomplete.
Details, see
map (PDF)Renovation work on the bridge between Autigny and Farvagny, from 07.06.2010 until 12.07.2010, impede the passage on the route 4 ViaJacobi. Please take note of the local signposting. Thank you for your understanding.
Details, see
map (PDF)
Length
Rorschach–Genève (Grenze): 458 km
20 stages
Kreuzlingen (Konstanz)–Rapperswil: 72 km
3 stages
Wattwil–Einsiedeln: 50 km
2 stages
Luzern–Rüeggisberg: 119 km
6 stages
Fribourg–Moudon: 119 km
6 stages
Height difference
Rorschach–Genève (Grenze): 9'100 m
Genève (Grenze)–Rorschach: 9'000 m
Kreuzlingen (Konstanz)–Rapperswil: 1'880 m
Rapperswil–Kreuzlingen (Konstanz): 1'910 m
Wattwil–Einsiedeln: 1'600 m
Einsiedeln–Wattwil: 1'310 m
Luzern–Rüeggisberg: 3'640 m
Rüeggisberg–Luzern: 3'140 m
Fribourg–Moudon: 980 m
Moudon–Fribourg: 1'070 m
RequirementsGrade: easy (hiking trail)
Conditions: medium
SignalizationFor hiking, follow the logo indicated on the yellow signposts.
Hiking in Switzerland
