Chróścice w 5 minut (odc. 20): Krościcky Camino de Santiago

W Chróścicach jest wiele dróg. Jedne są bardziej znane, inne mniej, ale jedna droga, która przechodzi przez Chróścice znana jest w całej Europie.

Chróścice under the magnifying glass Chróścice´s Camino de Santiago There are many roads in Chróścice. Some are more well known, others less so, but one way that runs through Chróścice is known throughout Europe. It is called the Way of St. James and such shells indicate the destination of this path.

People were already making pilgrimages on the Way of St. James in the Middle Ages. They went on pilgrimages for centuries but later gave up for various reasons. It was only in 1982 that the reconstruction of the Way of St. James

Began at the suggestion of our Pope John Paul II. The idea of rebuilding the Way of St. James also came to us in Opole land, where we and a small group of people were asked to determine the pilgrim route that runs from Annaberg through Opole,

Then through Dobrzen, Chroscice to Skorogoszcz, to Malujowice. First everything was marked on the map, and then the work continued outside. We have marked the way with such stickers, among other things. These granite posts are located in our community in places where it was difficult to attach the stickers

Or in important places such as St. Roch or St. Jadwiga’s Church. We determined the path from St. Roch Church towards Chroscice through the fields. There we walk along Saint-Roch-Street and continue towards the church. There is also such a granite post next to the church.

We continue towards Babi Las to the dike. From there the path leads to the Mikolin Bridge and further towards Skorogoszcz. And further west to Santiago de Compostela. A total of a trivial 3.5 thousand kilometers.

The destination itself and the entire route are so interesting and inspiring that a few years ago I decided to cycle the entire route. I started with the church where I was baptized. We set off in a small group, just as Helmut marked the path with the shells, to Babi Las

And then drove along the Odra dam via Siolkowice to Mikolin, via Skorogoszcz and Brzeg to Wroclaw. The first night we slept in the Notre Dame monastery on Ostrow Tumski Island, where the first Piast castle in Wroclaw stood. The second night we also slept at a historical site, at the castle in Grodziec.

The third night at less historic place but at a politically important place: on the Polish-German border in Zgorzelec. The route then took us to Leipzig, from there to Koblenz, to Paris, to Bordeaux and across Spain to Santiago de Compostela.

On the way we drove past hundreds of churches. We visited almost all of the older ones. Most of them were magnificent cathedrals built 500 to 800 years ago. In many of these churches one could pray at the sarcophagi or relics of well-known saints.

I am first thinking of the sarcophagus of Saint James in Santiago, Saint Martin in Tours or the Apostle Matthias in Trier. The Way of St. James not only offers a spiritual experience for a devout pilgrim,

But is also a feast for a history buff. Ancient Roman buildings and aqueducts, fortresses, dozens of castles. None of us will forget the stage from Bingen to Koblenz, where a new castle appeared every few kilometers in the Rhine Valley.

Not only the Rhine but also the Moselle will remain in our memories forever. There may have been fewer castles there, but there were beautiful views. However, the landscape that impressed us most was Spain. Not only the most beautiful but also the most difficult stages were waiting for us there.

First in the Pyrenees and then between Astorga and Saria we had to climb one peak or another several times. We not only had to struggle with the mountains, but also with the weather.

In northern France we encountered a hurricane that blew directly into our faces at a force of 100 km/h. Elsewhere we ended up on a muddy clay path. However, we had great weather when we entered the Cathedral Square in Santiago,

, but also at the end of our way on Kap Finisterra. This cape was considered the end of the world in medieval Europe. You can’t go any further, now you can only go down on foot. “Finis” means end in Latin and “terra” means earth.

Greetings to everyone from Kap Finisterra, from the end of the earth.