Great pilgrimage round

You can experience a piece of Compostela in Wendener Land: Since 2024, there has been a pilgrimage route under the sign of the scallop shell from Dörnscheid to Friesenhagen, which is considered an official feeder route to the Way of St. James and follows centuries-old pilgrimage paths.

On this circular route (15.7 km), you follow the pilgrims' path to the Red Chapel near Friesenhagen. From here, the trail makes a large loop via the Wildenburger Land, the Bigge spring area and the tranquil Dermicketal nature reserve back to Dörnscheid. The trail refreshes the mind and soul and, with its elevation profile, also offers the opportunity to work off some physical energy.

The tour starts at the Marienkapelle chapel, which was built in 2023 by Bertold Schumacher as a sign of gratitude after surviving a serious illness. The idea of creating the new feeder route was then developed by Jörg Beßmann, who had once dealt with the consequences of a serious motorcycle accident as a pilgrim to Santiago de Compostela.

In 2024, the pilgrimage route was opened in the presence of the two initiators, co-initiator Bastian Alfes and Member of the Bundestag Nezahat Baradari as patron under the motto "Dörnscheid, a piece of Europe". The trail is around 7 km long and ends at the Red Chapel in Friesenhagen. There it connects to the Marburg-Cologne Way of St. James and thus to the international Way of St. James network.

A stamp is available in the Dörnscheid chapel, which pilgrims can use to note the station in their pilgrim's book. Who knows - perhaps some people will feel the impulse here to set off on a longer pilgrimage. As MP Nezahat Baradari said at the inauguration: "Pilgrims are always on the way to themselves".

With the Way of St. James greeting "Buen Camino!" we wish all pilgrims a good journey!