Every journey begins with a first step ...

Balkan route and Greece

The Jerusalem Way is much more than a pilgrimage route: it is an international peace and cultural project that connects people, cultures and religions. The route across the Balkans is of unique historical depth, characterized by cultural diversity and symbolic encounters.

• Historical depth
  From mohács (1526) Karlowitz and Belgrade about the UNESCO monasteries Studenica and Žiča, the Field of Blackbirds (Kosovo Polje), Skopje , Stobi, until Thessaloniki and Philippi – these are not just waypoints, but key places in European history.
  
  

• • Religious dimension
    

    Of the Places of Paul about the Serbian Monastery Street, the Church of Saint Sava – the largest Orthodox church in the world – and the earliest archaeologically documented synagogue in North Macedonia to Cradle of European Christianity in Philippi: This line does not exist anywhere else.

     

    • symbolic meaning
      The Peace Bridge of Mitrovica, in the refugee route taken in the opposite direction and the 500th anniversary of the Battle of Mohács give the path a special relevance as a sign of reconciliation.

       

      • Myth and History
        From the epics Homer and Troy of Paul and the first Christian communities to the ancient streets Through Military and Via Egnatia – the Jerusalem Way connects the major lines of antiquity, the Bible and literature.
        
        This makes it a living peace way, which brings together antiquity, the Bible and the present and reconnects Europe with Jerusalem in a unique way. READ MORE IN DETAIL HERE...
        

The Balkan route of the Jerusalem Way, which runs through Hungary, Serbia, Kosovo and North Macedonia to Greece, has a special significance for the entire peace project. It connects Central Europe with the Eastern Mediterranean and stands for the Reconciliation of peoples and cultures in a region that has been characterized by conflict and division for centuries.

Pilgrims meet here living history, spiritual diversity and intercultural dialogue – from Muslim traditions to Serbian and Greek Orthodox Christianity and other religious expressions, always in the spirit of respect and peace.

This section also forms the ideal preparation for the further journey through Turkey and the Middle EastKosovo, in particular, has great symbolic power: a region in transition that embodies the spirit of transformation and hope.

As a Member of the European Parliament told our exhibition said in Brussels: “Without peace in the Balkans, Europe will fall apart.” The Jerusalem Way therefore deliberately leads through the Balkans – as a living bridge between religions, cultures and the intellectual and political soul of Europe.

Photos of pilgrimages in the Balkans: Open here

By entering Turkey, pilgrims enter one of the most historically and spiritually rich regions on earth!

• Transition from Europe to Asia
  Am Hellespont / the Dardanelles They cross the historical threshold from Europe to Asia – a passage full of myth and history. Xerxes I. and Alexander the Great crossed here with their armies; Emperor Frederick I Barbarossa crossed the Dardanelles on the Third Crusade before being captured in 1190 in Göksu (Saleph) drowned. At the same time, the memorials of the Battle of Gallipoli (1915/16) This place: vast cemeteries and memorials commemorate the hundreds of thousands of fallen soldiers from Turkey, Australia, New Zealand, Great Britain, France, and other nations. The peninsula is considered a national shrine – almost every Turk visits it at least once in their lifetime. Not far from there are Troy and Alexandria Troas, the place from which the Apostle Paul first set out for Europe. Here, myth, antiquity, the Bible, the Middle Ages, and the modern era converge.

• Western Anatolia & Aegean Sea
  The stage leads over Pergamon (Bergama), UNESCO World Heritage with one of the steepest theaters of antiquity, after Izmir (Smyrna), the epistle city and, with over three million inhabitants, the largest metropolis on the entire Jerusalem Way. Ephesus with the House of Mary is one of the most important early Christian centers and is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Alexandria Troas is considered Paul's gateway to Europe.

• Lycus Valley / Phrygia
  In the Lycus Valley are Hierapolis–Pamukkale (UNESCO), a thermal sanctuary with the venerated tomb of the Apostle Philip, as well as Laodicea, one of the Seven Churches of Revelation. Also Colossae, addressee of the letter to the Colossians, is here. 

• Central Anatolia
  Next Konya is sille with Byzantine cave churches and the Helenenkirche; according to tradition Helena, the mother of Emperor Constantine, stopped here on her journey to the Holy Land. Konya (Iconion), the town Rumis, is still the center of Sufism today. In Kilistra There are rock dwellings on the ancient Royal Road, closely linked to the journeys of Paul. Pisidian Antioch (Yalvaç) Finally, it is the place of Paul’s great synagogue sermon (Acts 13). 

• Cilicia & Mediterranean Coast
  On the way to the Mediterranean, the Göksu Gorge a memorial stone to Barbarossa, who drowned here in 1190. In Adana Pilgrims meet with the Roman Bridge Tasköprü and the Sabanci Merkez Mosque two impressive landmarks. 

• Southeastern Anatolia
  In Antakya (Antioch on the Orontes), where the disciples were first called “Christians” (Acts 11,26:XNUMX), the route connects with one of the oldest early Christian centers.

All of the sites mentioned are located directly on the Jerusalem Way; many are also marked as points of interest (POIs) in the app.

See also ROUTE Türkiye and GUIDED TOURS Türkiye

We recommend a light, sturdy backpack with good hiking gear: weatherproof clothing, sturdy footwear, a first-aid kit, a water bottle, sunscreen, a mobile phone with a GPS app, a passport, and, if necessary, a visa, depending on the country.

Yes! The Jerusalem Way offers GPS tracks for the entire route. Details and links can be found on the website at Route as well as under GPS app.

Of course. The Jerusalem Way is modular. You can join anywhere and walk for as long as you like. Even stages spanning several years are possible.

The Jerusalem Way is open to all people – regardless of religion, origin, or ideology. The Way stands for peace, tolerance, and international understanding.

If you have any further questions or would like to provide feedback, please send us a message using the contact form below: