One of the world's most famous pilgrimages, the Camino de Santiago attracts a large number of pilgrims from all over the world every year. St. Jacob's Way in the Middle Ages it brought forgiveness from sins to pilgrims, and nowadays the popular Camino also has great tourist significance for the northwest of Spain. This especially applies to the Galician city of Santiago de Compostela, whose cathedral contains the tomb of the apostle James.
Camino has experienced a real boom in Croatia in the last few years. It is right now as many as six active routes: Camino Krk, Camino Imota, Camino Podravina, Camino Banovina, Camino Sibenik i Camino Brac, there are a few more in the announcement. Today, the network of Camino routes extends throughout Europe, and Croatia has a rich history related to the Camino.
One of the announced Camino routes, which will have its start in Croatia, is that one from Dubrovnik to Medjugorje. The project is realized in cooperation with the City of Dubrovnik and the Brotherhood of St. Jakov, the official Croatian representative in the central and oldest Camino institution - the Confraternity of St. Jakov in Spain.
Camino Dubrovnik - Međugorje: six stages and 147 kilometers
The mentioned route, which according to the announcements, should come to life by May 2024, contains six stages with a total length of 147 kilometers. She would move from the monastery of St. Jakov in Dubrovnik which was built in 1222. The route would primarily pilgrims, but also other interested tourists and travelers, in six days brought to the church of St. Jakov in Medjugorje. It is an old church from 1897, which was upgraded and completed, that is, consecrated in 1969. The City of Dubrovnik signed an agreement on cooperation on this project with the municipalities of Dubrovnik Coast, Ravno, Neum, Čitluk and the town of Čapljin.
The Camino route Dubrovnik - Međugorje was presented in the European Parliament, and in Brussels, among other things, the Croatian Camino heritage, examples of good practice and the achievements of the Camino Croatia project so far were presented. Camino Hrvatska is part of the European network of St. Jakov under the protection of UNESCO and the Council of Europe, which lead to Santiago de Compostela and which over 1,5 million people walk in Europe annually.
Representative Željana Zovko highlighted the example of Spain and the way in which, through local, regional and national cooperation, exceptional positive effects on culture and tourism are realized in the development and promotion of Camino. According to research by the regional government of Galicia, every euro of public investment in Camino records a rate of return of over 400%.
Croatian Brotherhood of St. Jakova presented the details of the project Camino Hrvatska, whose routes were walked by over three thousand people last year from all over Europe, but also Canada, USA, South Africa and Australia. The big event "Adria Camino Festival" has also been announced, which will take place in Pula from May 2 to 5, 2024. Over 400 participants, representatives of European institutions and camino associations are expected at the festival.
Source: City of Dubrovnik
Source of cover photo: Brotherhood of St. James
