Journey IV/VII: Balkans

From Budapest, the Jerusalem Way leads along the Danube to Mohács, where it reaches the border triangle of Hungary, Croatia, and Serbia. One of the most significant battles in Europe took place here on August 29, 1526: Hungarian and European troops suffered a devastating defeat against Sultan Suleiman the Magnificent, King Louis II fell, and medieval Hungary collapsed under Ottoman rule. Mohács became a symbol of national tragedy for Hungary and Central Europe. Today, a memorial commemorates the victims, and 2026 marks the 500th anniversary of the battle – an opportunity to re-interpret this site as a station of peace and reconciliation.

After a short section on Croatian territory, the path runs through Serbia and finally reaches the easternmost city in Croatia, Ilok. There, the Franciscan monastery rises with the tomb of Saint John of Capistrano, a great Franciscan and preacher of the 15th century who played a significant role in the Battle of Belgrade in 1456. This gives Croatia a spiritual anchor point on the Jerusalem Way before the route continues across the Danube into Serbia.

In Novi Sad, the mighty Petrovaradin Fortress sits enthroned, one of the largest and best-preserved bastion works in Europe. A few kilometers further lies Sremski Karlovci, where the symbolic Chapel of Peace stands at the site of the 1699 peace treaty. The Treaty of Karlowitz was signed there between the Ottomans and the European powers – a turning point in history. At the same time, negotiations were held here for the first time at a round table so that no side would have precedence. This principle, which today is considered a worldwide symbol for dialogue and equality, has its origins exactly at this spot.

Further down the Danube, the path reaches Belgrade, the ancient Singidunum, where the Danube and Sava rivers meet. The famous Via Militaris (or Via Diagonalis) already began here in Roman times, leading via Niš, Sofia, and Plovdiv to Constantinople. To this day, the mighty Kalemegdan Fortress dominates the cityscape – with traces of Romans, Byzantines, Ottomans, and Habsburgs, as well as the turbe of the Ottoman Grand Vizier Damat Ali Pasha (†1716). At the same time, the monumental Church of Saint Sava rises here, the largest Orthodox church in the world and one of the largest churches overall. Thus, Belgrade on the Jerusalem Way unites antiquity, the Middle Ages, Islam, and Orthodoxy in a very small space.

From there, the Jerusalem Way follows the Sava for a while before heading through central Serbia. The classic ancient main corridor ran south through the Morava Valley, but the Jerusalem Way deliberately takes a different path here: it follows the Ibar Valley, via Raška, the historical heartland and cradle of medieval Serbia. Along the way, it encounters the famous Serbian Monastery Road with its spiritual centers, including the significant UNESCO World Heritage Studenica Monastery and the nearby Žiča Monastery, where Serbian kings were crowned. Further south, the Jerusalem Way also touches the impressive Gračanica Monastery, which is part of the UNESCO World Heritage “Medieval Monuments in Kosovo”.

A special symbol awaits us in Mitrovica, where the Jerusalem Way deliberately crosses the well-known Peace Bridge over the Ibar – a bridge that was long a symbol of division and conflict and is now seen as a strong sign of reconciliation and dialogue. A few kilometers further, it reaches Vushtrri (Vucitrn), home to one of the oldest Ottoman stone bridges in the Balkans from the 15th century. Shortly after follows the historic Blackbird Field (Kosovo Polje), the scene of the famous battle of 1389, in which both Prince Lazar of Serbia and Sultan Murad I, the only Ottoman sultan to fall in the field, lost their lives. This field remains symbolic of Europe’s wounds to this day – and the Jerusalem Way transforms this place of remembrance into a message of peace.

The route continues to Pristina and finally south to Skopje (Scupi), where the path reaches the valley of the Vardar River (Axios). In the North Macedonian capital, the Jerusalem Way leads directly through the monumental Macedonia Gate and on to the Memorial House of Mother Teresa, the great Nobel Peace Prize winner who began her worldwide service for the poorest from here. Also visible from afar on Mount Vodno is the monumental Millennium Cross – at 66 meters, the largest Orthodox cross in the Balkans and one of the largest crosses in the world. It commemorates 2,000 years of Christianity and impressively shapes the city’s skyline. In this way, the Jerusalem Way connects ancient lines not only with the spiritual tradition of the Middle Ages and the symbols of modern times but also with a globally revered figure of peace and charity.

From Skopje, the Jerusalem Way accompanies the Axios south to Stobi, a hidden gem. This ancient city was once a major hub – virtually a gateway to the Aegean. The main Roman connection, linking the Danube region with the Aegean, ran along the Skopje – Stobi – Thessaloniki axis. Stobi was not only a transport center but also a Christian episcopal see. The route along the Vardar River (Axios) – the so-called Via Axia – is clearly documented by Roman milestones and the Tabula Peutingeriana. Thus, on this section, the Jerusalem Way follows the ancient road network that connected Europe and the East nearly two millennia ago. Also unique is the archaeologically documented Synagogue of Stobi from the 2nd–3rd century, considered the earliest synagogue in North Macedonia. It was later built over by a Christian basilica – a symbol of the coexistence of Jewish, Christian, and Roman heritage.

Shortly before Thessaloniki, the Jerusalem Way meets the famous Via Egnatia, which connected the Balkans with Asia Minor and the Orient. From here, both paths cross and accompany each other on many sections.

After Thessaloniki, the Jerusalem Way continues via the traditional Panagía Eikosifoiníssa Monastery on Mount Pangaion, one of the oldest Marian monasteries in the Orthodox world, and to Philippi (UNESCO World Heritage). The famous Battle of Philippi took place here in 42 BC, marking the transition from the Roman Republic to the Empire. Around 50 AD, Paul founded the first Christian community in Europe here. The basilicas of Philippi are considered the oldest church buildings in Europe. At the nearby Zygaktis River, Lydia of Thyatira was baptized by Paul as the first woman and first Christian in Europe – a milestone in European religious history.

From there, the path reaches the port of Kavala (ancient Neapolis), where Paul first set foot on European soil. Thus begins the cradle of Christianity in Europe, from where the Gospel first spread across our continent. Kavala also brings to mind Alexandria Troas in present-day Turkey, from where Paul set out on his second missionary journey to Europe.

East of Kavala, the Jerusalem Way leads through the ancient cities of Maroneia and Ismaros, which were already mentioned by Homer and whose legends are closely linked to Troy. This builds a bridge to the next stage in present-day Turkey, where pilgrims will later actually reach the ruins of Troy and Alexandria Troas.

Near the lagoon of Porto Lagos lies the idyllic Agios Nikolaos Monastery, a spiritual place of connection. Finally, the Jerusalem Way reaches the coastal city of Alexandroupolis with its lighthouse – the last station in Greece before the route leads across the Dardanelles to Anatolia (present-day Turkey).

It is also remarkable that on its course through the Balkans, the Jerusalem Way often takes the same route as the so-called refugee route in recent times – only in the opposite direction. Those valleys and passes that pilgrims now walk toward Jerusalem are the same paths on which countless refugees from Syria, Iraq, or Afghanistan have traveled in recent years from Turkey via Greece, North Macedonia, Serbia, and Hungary to Austria and further into Central Europe. Thus, the Jerusalem Way becomes a path that not only connects cultures and religions but also reflects current experiences of flight, suffering, and hope.

In this way, the Jerusalem Way continues the great lines of antiquity today: from the Danube via the Sava, the Ibar and Vardar Valleys to the Aegean. It connects the historical main axis of the Roman Empire with symbolic sections of the Middle Ages and the present – a living connection that united Europe and the East 2,000 years ago and today, as a Path of Peace, builds bridges between cultures, religions, and peoples.