Join us in Passau – Monday, July 20, 2026

Peace on the Way: The JERUSALEM WAY connects Bavaria and Upper Austria

Passau/Freinberg, – On Monday, July 20, 2026, a public cross-border peace and encounter day between Bavaria and Upper Austria will take place in Passau on the Jerusalem Way.

The current occasion is the arrival of the international Peacewalk in Passau. Pilgrims from several European countries are expected, including from the Netherlands, Belgium, and Germany. They will continue their shared journey from Passau on the Jerusalem Way across the border into Upper Austria.

The arrival of the Peacewalk was incorporated as the occasion for the cross-border encounter and cooperation day within the framework of the Interreg project “Peace on the Way” (www.passauer-land.de). The PEACEWALK follows the Jerusalem Way for long stretches and makes its peace mission visible through a current international pilgrimage movement.

• The public opening begins at 9:00 AM on the Cathedral Square in Passau. Planned are peace songs and musical contributions; welcome to participants from Bavaria and Upper Austria, as well as the international Peacewalk; presentation of the “Peace on the Way” project, as well as short speeches by representatives from politics (project partners District Administrator Raimund Kneidinger and Mayor of Passau Andreas Rother), church, tourism, and the Peacewalk.
• At 10:30 AM the shared pilgrimage begins. The approximately six-kilometer route leads from the Cathedral Square via the Gisela Tomb and Niedernburg Monastery to the Three Rivers Corner, continuing over the Inn Bridge and through Innstadt, then across the German-Austrian border to Freinberg.
• The official conclusion is scheduled for around 1:00 PM at the Weinbeißer Inn in Freinberg. Public transportation can be used for the return journey to Passau; additionally, a shuttle bus is planned.

A special, symbolic moment will be the shared crossing of the border. In doing so, participants set a visible sign for peace, encounter, and cross-border connection.

Passau is far more than a waypoint. Here, historic pilgrimage routes, regions, and people connect. The shared border crossing makes visible what the Jerusalem Way aims to achieve: understanding borders not as dividing lines, but as places of encounter. From here, the three German feeder routes continue together into Austria. In Linz, they meet the main route leading from Spain through France, Switzerland, and Austria.

The Jerusalem Way is the world’s longest peace and pilgrimage route, spanning approximately 8,500 kilometers through 19 countries. The Ilztal & Dreiburgenland tourism region is already part of this international route.

The people of Passau, the Passau district, and the state of Upper Austria are warmly invited to participate in the opening on the Cathedral Square and in the shared pilgrimage.

Media reports and links

➡️ TV Niederbayern: TV report
➡️ Passauer Neue Presse: Press report
➡️ Diocese of Passau: Press report and radio contribution
➡️ Jerusalem Way stage: Passau – Freinberg – Engelhartszell
➡️ Overview of Jerusalem Ways Germany: Open feeder routes

p2p Project AE-038 Peace on the Way: Cross-border Encounter and Cooperation Day in the Bavaria-Upper Austria Border Region

The encounter day is part of the p2p project AE-038 “Peace on the Way: Cross-border Encounter and Cooperation Day in the Bavaria–Upper Austria Border Region” within the framework of Interreg Bavaria–Austria 2021–2027. The project is co-financed by the European Union.

JERUSALEM WAY international Peace Team; Passau District, Tourism Department

The Jerusalem Way is an intercultural and interreligious peace and pilgrimage route connecting Europe with Jerusalem. It stands for dialogue, mutual respect, and peaceful coexistence across national, cultural, and religious boundaries. In the Passau area, two historically developed Jerusalem Way routes (Cologne-Donauwörth-Passau; Waldsassen-Passau) converge and continue from there along the Upper Austrian Danube valley. The project’s goal is to bring together key stakeholders from tourism, administration, and civil society on both sides of the border in a structured encounter format to deepen cooperation for the cross-border development and professionalization of the Jerusalem Way.

Project duration: May 15, 2026 – August 31, 2026

This project is co-financed with funds from the European Union in the amount of 3,375.04 euros from the Interreg Bavaria-Austria 2021-27 program.