In 2003, the Austrian Johannes Aschauer made a pilgrimage with a friend on the Way of St. James from Austria to Finisterre (around 3000 km). The trip had a lasting effect on him and Johannes shared his experiences with people through film lectures. In March 2006, on the way home from a lecture tour, Johannes was struck by a flash of inspiration out of the blue. The word Jerusalem flashed through his mind and remained persistent until John took the impulse seriously and opened up to the idea of ​​walking to Jerusalem. A reputation is a reputation.

After four years of preparation, Johannes finally set off on June 24, 2010 and was accompanied by David Zwilling and Otto klar. The two police officers and the downhill world champion followed in the footsteps of the Crusades, walking on the paths of the Apostle Paul and the historic pilgrimage paths through Europe, Asia Minor, Syria and Jordan to the Holy Land. They wandered through valleys and over mountains, through fertile areas and barren deserts, along sea coasts and rivers and finally through Syria shortly before the start of the war. After six months, they finally arrived in Bethlehem on Christmas Eve and reached Jerusalem on December 26, 2010.

On December 21, 2012, on the day on which, according to prophecies of doom, the world should have ended with the end of the Mayan calendar, Johannes and his companions traveled again to Finisterre to mark the beginning of the JERUSALEM WAY to justify with the message: 

“From the end of the world to the heart of Europe to the beginning”. 

It became the initiation of the longest pilgrimage route and the international peace and cultural route JERUSALEM WAY.

Johannes Aschauer subsequently wrote down the initial journey and published the adventure in a richly illustrated book: On the Jerusalem Way - an extraordinary pilgrimage from the heart of Europe on foot to Jerusalem. Like the film lectures, it inspires people who get infected to set out on their own. 

With the founding of the club on December 21, 2013 and the entry as a European protected trademark, the Jerusalem Way got a legal form on February 3, 2014. The registered association has been there ever since 

"JERUSALEM WAY International Peace Team"

for the values

PEACE, FREEDOM and TOLERANCE

Pioneer Johannes Aschauer describes the summer in an interview 2023, how it came from the vision to today's global peace project: Interview on YouTube | Interview as a podcast

Over the years, a call from one individual has become a movement. Today develop a volunteer core team and countless silent helpers continue the vision and want to make a contribution towards confidence, international understanding and world peace with the longest peace path in the world.

Be welcome! Whether pilgrim, organization, with one Membership at the club or Donation for the expansion of the path, networking work and further development of technologies.

Be welcome to be part of a great peace movement. Thank you.