The Via Francigena is an important trade and pilgrim route that traces its legacy back to the year 990 when Sigeric, the Archbishop of Canterbury, departed UK to visit the Pope in Rome. If traveled in its entirety from Canterbury to Rome to Santa Maria di Leuca, the trail is 3200 kilometers long. Despite the trail being a certified pilgrim route, the trail is also one of the oldest Certified Cultural Routes of Europe. It peregrinates one of the most fascinating cultural corridors in Europe. Hikers should view the route as a cultural journey across Europe instead of a religious pilgrimage. Certainly, there is no proselytizing on this historic route and there is plenty to see and experience.
France
The trail commences at Canterbury Cathedral in Kent, England and perambulates across the Kent countryside. Here, there are 2 stages totaling 31.25 kilometers before making the short sea crossing to France. In France, there are 47 stages totaling almost 1000 kilometers. The trail departs Calais and heads southeast crossing the Hauts-de-France Region, the Grand Est Region with its magnificent Champagne area and the important town of Reims. Soon after this, you cross the border into northwest Switzerland at the town of Saint-Croix.
Switzerland
In Switzerland, the trail heads south in 12 stages totaling 215 kilometers and offers some of the most breath-taking scenery in Europe. Here, it handrails the northern shoreline of Lake Geneva and passes through Lausanne on its way to the summit of the Great Saint Bernard’s Pass at 2473 meters elevation. This is the highest point on the entire route.
Italy
After crossing into Italy, the trail consists of 45 stages totaling 1000 kilometers. It commences with a beautiful descent through Aosta Valley before traversing the mighty Po Valley in Piedmont and Lombardy. The trail then crosses the Apennine Mountain Range in Emilia-Romagna and then weaves through Liguria and Tuscany. From here, it finally enters Lazio to finish in Rome.
For many, Rome is the final destination. But in 2019, the Via Francigena was extended to include the historical route from the Eternal City of Rome to the ports of Apulia. This is where pilgrims, merchants, explorers and travelers travelled to reach the Holy Land. The additional component consists of 45 stages totaling 960 kilometers. It transits through the regions of Lazio, Campania, Basilicata, and Apulia before finishing at the town Santa Maria di Leuca.
Good to know
To hike from Canterbury to Santa Maria di Leuca will take approximately 130 days of walking an average of 25 kilometers a day with no rest days. Most people allow 5 months to complete the entire journey. However, walking the trail in its entirety may not be achievable for many people and so there are plenty of options to hike the route. Many hikers opt to spend a week hiking the 140 kilometers from Lucca to Siena whilst enjoying the beautiful Tuscan countryside. Others take several years to complete the different sections. Thanks to international airports and a fine rail network across Europe, hikers can start and end wherever they like.
However, as with every trail, there are some low points to be aware of. Firstly, there is a fair amount of asphalt walking which is inevitable when entering and exiting large cities. Some sections of the trail are routed directly next to busy roads that can be uncomfortable and unrewarding. Secondly, the route traverses the mighty Po Valley for approximately 300 kilometers which many may find mundane and boring in relation to other stages of the trail. It is extremely flat and sometimes feels like it will never end! That being said, once the Po Valley finishes, the trail starts to climb out of the valley floor to cross the Apennines and a sense of accomplishment is realized.
Best travel time
The trail is accessible all year round except for one part. The ascent through the Valais Alps to the Great Saint Bernard’s Pass where heavy snow may commence in November and remain until June. Consequently, if walking the entire trail in one thru-hike, this limitation will need to be factored into the departure date. Although a train or bus service omitting this stage in bad weather is also available. Hot weather in central and southern Italy in July and August may also require some consideration and planning. Think about early morning or early evening hiking to avoid stifling temperatures in the heat of the day.
Do not forget
The trail can be completed without any specialist climbing or hiking equipment. The only exception is if snow shoes or skis are needed to make the ascent to the Great Saint Bernard’s Pass. These can be rented in the town of Bourg Saint Pierre in Switzerland and then left at the Hospice on the Col du Saint Bernard after reaching the summit. You can find our basic thru-hike packing list here.
Do not forget to obtain the official Via Francigena Credenziale (pilgrims’ passport) that is required to stay in dedicated pilgrim accommodation along the route. Many pilgrim accommodation facilities insist on guests having this document. Get it stamped along the way and present it at the official pilgrims’ center in Rome to obtain a certified certificate of completion.
More resources
The trail is marked reasonably well in France and extremely well in Switzerland and Italy. There is a dedicated Via Francigena app that can track your location on the trail. The app shows accommodation along the way and GPX files are readily available online.
There is the official Via Francigena website that can be good to check for diversions or other information and a dedicated Facebook group (Via Francigena) with over 17k members. This can be a great resource to check weather conditions, obtain trail information or read about other hikers that are a few stages ahead. There are some excellent guide books that are available including the seminal publications by Cicerone written by Sandy Brown.
Accommodation is plentiful but make reservations in advance between Lucca and Siena in May and June due to the hiker traffic on the trail at the time.
Useful Links
