Why the attraction?

A medieval road closer to the 21st Century than to year 1000! Maybe it is because this road is a symbol of unity, but also of diversity and modernity: it is a cultural place, a place where to meet the others and excahnge ideas with them.

"European unity was really achieved through while walking and singing, and that is what happened on the roads that led to Compostela" Don José Miguel Ruiz Morales.

Where do they come? How many are they?

Total number 30,126 in 1998, more than 5,000 the previous year, they come from the world over, from Brazil and from Germany, from Belgium and from North America .... The statistics that the Iglesia Metropolitana de Santiago Compostela publishes give a very good idea of the motivations, the ages, the financial situations, provenience, traveling periods of all, of them. They also show a rather strong phenomenon of rebirth of the Camino for the past ten years or so, with big surges during the Holy Years, particularly in 1999: 154,613.

Extract of the Oficina de Peregrinaciones: arrivals in Santiago, year 1998

Number of pilgrims: 30,126 Male 18,443 Female 11,683 Ages 1 - 30 14,522 30 - 60 13,629 60 and plus 1,975 Most of the pilgrims arrived on foot 21,930

Nationalities: Spain 20,112 France 2,169 Germany 1,833 Italy 842 Belgium 816 Brazil 755 Netherlands 754 United States 711 Great Britain 538 Switzerland 293 Portugal 198

According to another source, the Association des Amis du Chemin de Saint-Jacques Pyrènées-Atlantiques, the number of pilgrims who registered and started in Saint-Jean Pied-de-Port:

1996: 1,264

1997: 1,977

1998: 3,154

1999: 7,359 from 49 nationalities: ... South Africa, Malaysia, Russia, Sri-Lanka, Lebanon, Peru, Israel, Japan, Australia...

Arrival in Santiago de Compostela, North Americans people ranked fourth in 1999, after Spanishs 135,852, Frenchs 4,016, Germans 2,606, Americans 1,642 (711 in 1998).

What does one need to starte the pilgrimage?

First and foremost to want it, then to travel light. there many Web sites which will help you to get ready for the walk and give you many advices on the required equipment, the various stages, the refuges...