The Balkan way with a Spanish bias

The thousand-year history of the famous pilgrimage route of El Camino de Santiago is changing before our eyes. For the first time, the route in honor of St. James was laid across the Balkans. 

On April 12, 2024, the first group of 150 travelers leaves Herzegovina for Croatia. The Balkan route passes through very beautiful places: it starts at the Church of St. James in the village of Medjugorje (Bosnia and Herzegovina), then follows the roads of Herzegovina past ancient temples, ancient Roman ruins, picturesque mills, mountain lakes and ends in the small Croatian village of Donji Vignani at the church of St. Nicholas Tavelic. 

The route is about 110 kilometers long. The average travel speed is 18-20 km per day. Throughout the journey, the travelers have prepared places for overnight stays, food outlets, and information centers. In addition to the opportunity to see the little-known corners of the Balkans, tourists are also attracted by the fact that after following the indicated route, they receive compostela passports with seals confirming the trip they have made. 

The route was arranged by members of the Spanish Brotherhood of St. James of Santiago de Compostela. According to the rules of the Brotherhood, in order for the new Kamino to become part of the general network, it is necessary to conduct at least 3 more groups of travelers along the distance during the year. According to the president of the Brotherhood of St. James from Medjugorje, there will be no problems with this: interest in the Balkan route is so great that, in addition to the first route, a direction from Croatian Dubrovnik is already being developed. 

The Brotherhood's initiative is strongly supported by the Ministry of Trade, Tourism and Environmental Protection of Bosnia and Herzegovina. After all, this initiative attracts tourists to little-visited counties, promotes cultural exchange and economic development of the regions. And the prestige of the Balkans will not hurt to stand on a par with the famous Spanish El Camino de Santiago.